In December 2025, Massachusetts officially updated child support guidelines that conform closely to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). Although the Commonwealth has yet to formally adopt the UCCJEA, the new guidelines bring Massachusetts in line with procedures followed by all other 49 states.

The new guidelines include a universal application for all child support orders, regardless of parental status, as well as a broader definition of income. They also define clearer rules for determining parenting time and factors to be considered when setting child support orders. Other key updates focus on college expenses, health care coverage, and hardship determinations. The adoption of Cavanagh v. Cavanagh, 490 Mass. 398 (2022) gives judges greater leeway in determining what factors to considered when apportioning a child support obligation.

You can read a more detailed breakdown of the new guidelines here.

Forum Shopping No Longer Allowed

Although Massachusetts has yet to adopt the UCCJEA, which lays out clear guidelines for multi-state child custody cases, as of October 2025, the Commonwealth adopted new laws dealing with Interstate Custody Issues that also align with the UCCJEA’s stance on forum shopping.

Forum shopping is what it sounds like: a practice of filing a lawsuit in a specific court or jurisdiction that has more favorable laws that could present a more favorable outcome. In child custody cases, however, forum shopping can lead to slower procedures, higher legal fees, as well as additional financial burdens. Limiting or eliminating forum shopping in child custody cases streamlines procedures and ideally creates a friendlier process. The UCCJEA specifically eliminates the ability to forum shop in child custody cases, and Massachusetts has adopted a similar law.

Now effectively aligned with the rest of the country, Massachusetts has taken an important step forward to improve child custody and support. Our attorneys at Mountain Dearborn can assist you with child custody concerns. Please contact us here.

Tyler Toothman is a third-year law student at Suffolk University Law School and will be joining Mountain Dearborn as a full-time associate this fall. He has a strong interest in trusts and estates. Tyler also plans to further his expertise by completing his LLM in Taxation at Suffolk University Law School in 2027.

Image: Ryan Stefan