Skip to main content

Mass. General Laws c.208

Divorce

This page links to the current, accurate version of each section of G.L. c.208

Skip table of contents

Table of Contents

§ 1 General provisions 
§ 1A Irretrievable breakdown of marriage; commencement of action; complaint accompanied by statement and dissolution agreement; procedure 
§ 1B Irretrievable breakdown of marriage; commencement of action; waiting period; unaccompanied complaint; procedure 
§ 2 Confinement for crime 
§ 3 Absence; presumption of death 
§ 4 Domicile of parties 
§ 5 Exceptions 
§ 6 Venue 
§ 6B Filing of action; statistical report 
§ 8 Commencement of actions 
§ 11 Ex parte hearing; allowance or denial of motion to insert name of third person 
§ 12 Spouse's property; attachment 
§ 13 Attachment; manner 
§ 14 Attachments; laws applicable 
§ 15 Mentally ill defendant; appointment and compensation of guardian 
§ 16 Investigation of divorce case 
§ 17 Pendency of action; allowance; alimony 
§ 18 Pendency of action for divorce; protection of personal liberty of spouse; restraint orders authorized 
§ 19 Pendency of action for divorce; custody of children 
§ 20 Continuance of action; temporary separation 
§ 20A Judgment denying divorce; living apart for justifiable cause; authorization 
§ 21 Divorce judgments; entry 
§ 22 Desertion; proof 
§ 23 Resumption of former name by woman 
§ 24 Divorced parties; remarriage 
§ 24A Certificate of divorce; contents 
§ 25 Divorce for adultery of wife; legitimacy of issue 
§ 27 Curtesy or dower after divorce 
§ 28 Children; care, custody and maintenance; child support obligations; provisions for education and health insurance; parents convicted of first degree murder 

Amended effective July 8, 2019

§ 28A Temporary care; custody and maintenance of minor children 
§ 29 Minor children; foreign divorces, care and custody 
§ 30 Minor children; removal from commonwealth; prohibition 
§ 31 Custody of children; shared custody plans 
§ 31A Visitation and custody orders; consideration of abuse toward parent or child; best interest of child 
§ 32 Child; bringing before court; writ of habeas corpus 
§ 33 Jurisdiction; procedure 
§ 34 Alimony or assignment of estate; determination of amount; health insurance 
§ 34A Alimony judgment ordering conveyance; effect 
§ 34B Order to vacate marital home 
§ 34C Orders to vacate marital home and orders of restraint; notice to law enforcement agencies; procedures; violations 
§ 34D Request for restraining order or order to vacate marital home; information provided to petitioner upon filing; domestic violence record search; outstanding warrants 
§ 35 Alimony; enforcement 
§ 36 Security for payment of alimony or support; enforcement of judgments or orders 
§ 36A Continuing jurisdiction to enforce alimony, support and maintenance or child support; order for trustee process 
§ 37 Alimony; revision of judgment 
§ 38 Costs 
§ 39 Foreign divorces; validity 
§ 40 Cohabitation after divorce 
§ 41 Personation 
§ 42 Procurement of unlawful divorce 
§ 43 Advertisement to procure divorce 
§ 44 Certificate of divorce; unlawful issuance 
§ 45 Criminal offenses; notice to district attorney 
§ 46 Statistical reports; additional information 
§ 48 Definitions applicable to Secs. 49 to 55 
§ 49 Termination, suspension or modification of general term alimony 
§ 50 Termination, extension or modification of rehabilitative alimony 
§ 51 Termination of reimbursement alimony; modification; applicability of income guidelines 
§ 52 Termination of transitional alimony; modification or extension 
§ 53 Determination of form, amount and duration of alimony; maximum amount; income calculation; deviations; concurrent child support orders 
§ 54 Remarriage of payor; income from second job or overtime work 
§ 55 Reasonable security for alimony in event of payor's death; orders to maintain life insurance; modification of orders 

Contact

Phone

(800) 445-8989

Within Massachusetts only

TTY (800) 281-3683

Within Massachusetts only

Online

Reference librarians online Chat with a law librarian 
Reference librarians via email masslawlib@gmail.com

Address

Administrative office (no law library at this location)
2 Center Plaza
9th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
Directions 
Feedback