Looking for Massachusetts’ rules on marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support? Want to find Massachusetts state court forms and instructions and local court websites? Here’s where to start. For a wide range of other articles on family law in Massachusetts, see the Resources by State section on this site.
Marriage Rules in Massachusetts
Requirements: No blood test required. You must be of the age of consent, not be too closely related to your intended spouse, not be married to anyone else, and have sufficient mental capacity, meaning you understand what you are doing when you marry. You can marry immediately after your marriage license is issued, and your license is good for 60 days. For more details, check your county clerk’s office.
Common law marriage: No.
Community property: No.
Same-sex marriage: Yes.
Massachusetts Divorce Rules
Grounds for divorce: Fault or no-fault grounds are allowed.
Residency requirement: At least one spouse must be a resident of Massachusetts for one year before filing for divorce. However, if the cause of the divorce occurred in the state, then the requirement is waived.
How property is divided: Equitable division.
Child Custody Rules in Massachusetts
Child custody guidelines: Massachusetts courts begin with a presumption that it’s best for a child to have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after a divorce. If possible, judges want to support joint custody arrangements.
Massachusetts Child Support Rules
Child support guidelines: Massachusetts requires all parents to support their children. The amount of child support depends primarily on each parent’s income and other resources and how much time each parent spends with the children.
Child support calculators to determine state guidelines: www.alllaw.com/calculators/childsupport/massachusetts.
State child support enforcement agency: Child Support Enforcement, www.mass.gov/dor.
Massachusetts Courts and Other Family Law Resources
Massachusetts court information and family law forms: www.mass.gov/courts.
Family services section of Massachusetts website: www.mass.gov/eohhs.
