JACOBI & CHAMBERLAIN LLP NEWS.

On February 27, 2009, David C. Chamberlain, Jr., formerly of Tyler & Reynolds in Boston, Massachusetts has joined the firm as a Partner.  David will head the Probate and Estate practice and will continue to provide preeminent will and estate planning services to clients.

DOMESTIC RELATIONS.

On January 1, 2009 new child support guidelines went into effect in Massachusetts.  The revised guidelines are intended to bring Massachusetts more in line with guidelines in other states.  The guidelines now apply in cases in which there is up to $250,000 in combined available income and where the recipient has approximately 2/3 physical custody.  Where physical custody is 50/50, the net of the difference between running the numbers for each parent to receive support is favored,  There is no longer an automatic exclusion for attribution of income where children are under age 6.  Rather, attribution can be argued and applied to both the payor or the recipient.  Minimum presumptive weekly support for combined incomes over $250,000 is $950 and additional support is discretionary.  If the combined income is over $300,000 large deviations may be granted.  Unlike prior guidelines, reasonable voluntary child support payments for a payor's children from another parent may be deductible even if there is no Court order in place. Both parents can deduct payments for reasonable health insurance costs even if those costs include a second family. Parents can only deduct payments for dental and vision insurance if that insurance covers the child(ren) at issue.  Deviations from the guidelines can be made in about 20% of cases.