Forms & Instructions

If you are a Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division (DOR) customer and your youngest child is under the age of 17 ½ , we can assist you in going to court to ask for a modification of your child support order.

Only the court can change the amount of your child support order and it will use the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines links to PDF file in determining the amount of the order. The Guidelines consider several factors including both parents' income and ability to earn income, the number and ages of the children, and the cost of health care coverage for the children. To get an estimate of the amount of money a court may order for child support based on your current financial condition and using the Guidelines, please use our Child Support Calculation Worksheet. We recommend you use this online worksheet to see if a modification would be called for at the present time.

Whether you are the parent who pays support or the parent who receives support, if you want our help in going to court to ask for a modification, you can print and complete a Complaint for Modification form pdf format of ramod.pdf and return it to us along with the other documentation requested below (if you have never completed a form before, review a sample Complaint for Modification pdf format of rasample.pdf ).

Once we get your complaint, we will file it with the court, give a copy to the other parent, and schedule a court hearing. This process can take several weeks. The court will require some sort of evidence (documentation or testimony) about a parent's ability to pay. Our staff will appear at the court hearing and provide the court with any information we have about the income and assets of both parents. DOR does not represent either parent. Our goal is to ensure that the child support order is consistent with the parents' ability to pay and the Child Support Guidelines. (Please note that this information applies if a Massachusetts court entered your order and the Massachusetts court still has authority to modify your order. If a Massachusetts court does not have authority to modify your order, we can help you send a request to the state that can modify the order, but the process is different and may take longer.)

NOTE: The court may increase or decrease your child support order or may decide to make no change at all.

DOR may share the information you provide with the other parent. If you fill out the "Complaint for Modification" form, the form includes your address, and it will be delivered to the other parent. If you do not want the other parent to see your address, or if you have other safety concerns about filing a complaint for modification, contact us at 800-332-2733 (Local callers, 617-660-1234).

Forms & Instructions:

Along with the complaint, send us the following:
 

  • Copies of your most recent state and federal income tax returns;

  • If you are employed, payroll check stubs for the last six weeks;

  • Proof of payments for health insurance coverage if you are providing it for your children and proof that the children are covered by your insurance; and

  • Daytime telephone number where you can be reached.

Please send the requested information to:

Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Child Support Enforcement Division
P.O. Box 7057
Boston, MA 02204
Attention: Modification

If you are a parent who pays child support and you are incarcerated and will be for more than one year, do not follow these instructions. Send us an email at CSE General Information, or send a letter to the address above, to request a package specific to your needs.