If you are one of the many Massachusetts residents who is considering divorce this year or in the future, you likely have a lot on your plate. It can be very easy to lose yourself when you are so concerned about figuring out the best way to go about your divorce and worried about what your life will look like when you are done. Now and when you are ready to start working toward your divorce agreement, take time to take care of yourself. Your health and well-being matters.
What might a visitation schedule look like?
Following divorce or separation, not all parents achieve the level of child custody that they would like. Some parents in Massachusetts are only granted visitation time, even though the national trend is toward shared parenting -- meaning as close to equal parenting time as circumstances warrant. Nevertheless, that goal doesn't fit every family profile. When a parent is limited to visitation time, what might a visitation a schedule look like?
New alimony laws could affect peoples' retirement savings
After the new tax laws regarding spousal support were announced earlier this year, it is hard to go a week without hearing how it will affect people if they do not finalize their divorces by year's end. Under current tax laws, those paying alimony -- whether they reside in Massachusetts or elsewhere -- are permitted to use it as a deduction on their taxes, while those receiving it have to report it as income. For those who divorce in 2019, that is going to change.
Placed on disability, a child support order still stands
When health reasons prevent a person from working, he or she may qualify for disability benefits. The amount one receives may be somewhat limited, but it should be enough to live on. What some Massachusetts residents may struggle with is paying child support while on this limited income. They think being placed on disability means that their child support orders are invalidated, but that is simply not true.
Why can the state put child support payments on hold?
When a parent is doing what he or she can to provide financial support for his or her children, it can be infuriating to see the state hold funds and not release them for an extended period of time. Why is it that the state of Massachusetts can put a hold on child support payments? Can this be avoided?
