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The Family Mediation Blog

Moving Beyond Screening: Mediation and Intimate Partner Violence

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Picture of two people sitting far aparatMoving Beyond Screening:  Mediation and Intimate Partner Violence

 
Historically, divorce mediators have been encouraged to screen out cases involving intimate partner violence.  This approach presumes that mediation would harm rather than benefit victims of intimate partner violence (“IPV”).  Lawyers and IPV Advocates have also been discouraged from allowing their clients to participate in mediation when there are allegations of IPV, based on the same presumption.  However, isn’t it possible that we are doing a disservice to our profession and to families who have experienced the trauma of intimate partner violence when we deny them the same...

Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Updated for 2021 - A Summary of Changes

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

The 2020-2021 Massachusetts Trial Court Child Support Guidelines Task Force was convened in 2020 and requested the submission of comments by December 15, 2020 to assist them in updating the guidelines as required every four years.  MCFM, and other organizations and individuals, submitted comments and recently the Task Force announced their changes with the new 2021 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines.  Click here to read MCFM's comments. 

Following is a blog post reprinted with permission from Skylark Law & Mediation, PC that summarizes all the changes:

New Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines (2021): Big Changes, Little Changes, Typos...

Massachusetts Probate & Family Court Suspends Requirement for Parenting Education Classes

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Massachusetts Probate & Family Court Suspends Requirement for Parenting Education Classes

by Stephen McDonough

On July 8, 2021 Chief Justice John Casey of the MA Probate and Family Courts announced a suspension to the requirement for divorcing parents to complete the mandatory parent education program specified in the court’s Standing Order 2-16, Parent Education Program Attendance, issued in 2016. 

The announcement surprised many MA divorce lawyers and mediators. Besides our weekly reminders to some clients to finish the program prior to their case concluding, feedback about the program from our clients – which went remote like most everything else during the coronavirus pandemic – was mostly...

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