Challenge to New Child Support Guidelines – The organization “Fathers and Families” brought suit in federal court to prevent the implementation of the new child support guidelines. According to the complaint, the guidelines were formulated without obtaining data on the cost of raising a child in Massachusetts in contravention of federal law. The suit also contends that because the law was implemented without a vote by the state legislature, but rather by a single “unelected judge,” it violates the state and federal constitutions. Notably, according to the suit, Massachusetts is one of only three states in which child support guidelines are implemented without legislative action. As for the federal court action, the judge ordered the Attorney General to file a motion to dismiss by January 28, 2009 – not a good sign for the plaintiff; but the issue would still be viable even if it the federal suit were dismissed as the suit could be refiled in state court. Fathers and Families v. Robert A. Mulligan (filed December 23, 2008)
Attorney Jonathan Fields of Fields and Dennis, Wellesley, Massachusetts is a family law and divorce lawyer serving the Greater Boston community.
The Greater Boston metro family law lawyers and estate planning attorneys at the Wellesley, MA law firm of Fields and Dennis serve the Greater Boston region including Allston, Arlington, Boston, Brighton, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Concord, Dedham, Dover, Lexington, Natick, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, and all Massachusetts.
