offered by
Probate and Family Court
Massachusetts Court System
related to
Child Support & Custody
Family Matters in the Courts
Caring for Children
Civil & Family Issues

Child Support

Learn more about the process of filing for, changing, and requesting child support, as well as the guidelines that determine child support.

Child support is money paid by a parent to help with the financial needs of a child when the parents don't live together anymore. The parent who the child lives with most of the time is often called the custodial parent. The other parent is often called the non-custodial parent. Generally, the non-custodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent.

What would you like to do?

Top tasks

Get a child support order  Request overdue child support payments 

All other tasks

File changes to child support if both parties agree to the change  File to change child support if only one person wants the change 

What you need to know

Child Support Guidelines  Receiving child support  Changing a child support order  Child support guidelines: court forms  Required forms for changing a judgment or temporary order by agreement  Massachusetts law about child support 
See all 8 of What you need to know 

Locations

A list of court locations where you can get a child support order

Find court locations

More Information

Related Services

Additional Resources

Supplemental Probate and Family Court Rule 412: Uncontested actions to modify a judgment or order
Guide on the disclosure of confidential information
Massachusetts law about modifications of family law judgments and orders
Massachusetts law about child support over age 18
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