Add Selected Option Legal Massachusetts Minors Forms For Free

Minors must be under the care and supervision of their parents or legal guardian, and they cannot legally enter into a contract. As a result, you cannot live separately from your parents, unless they give guardianship to a boarding school or a responsible adult.

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 231, section 85P, the age of majority is 18. No statute in Massachusetts explicitly addresses emancipation. However, minors can be emancipated through marriage in Massachusetts.

In the care and custody context, a recent case tells us that a child under the age of 18 has no authority to declare their parent unfit simply by refusing to engage with the parent.

Even though the “age of majority” is 18, this doesn't mean that all obligations between you and your parents/guardians end when you turn 18. In fact, Massachusetts courts have stated that there is no fixed age when complete emancipation happens.

Typically, courts like to see that both parents remain active in the children's lives, so joint custody is most common. The courts are objective in their decisions but always keep the best interest of the child as the priority, and as they see it, both parents involved while the child grows up is best.

However, child custody is not a 50/50 default judgment in Massachusetts. The court will not automatically apply a 50/50 custody rule as they must ensure the arrangement would be in the child's best interests. In Massachusetts, the courts follow “the best interest of the child” standard to ensure the child's well-being.

Legal Rights of Fathers Fathers have the right to seek custody and visitation of their children. This includes both physical custody, which pertains to where the child lives, and legal custody, which involves making significant decisions about the child's upbringing, education, health care, and religious training.

When it comes to child custody in Massachusetts, there is no exact standard used to determine the best interests of the child; however, family court judges will weigh several factors as guidelines. The health, safety, and well being of the child are always the primary considerations.

The court will only award joint custody if the parents have the ability to communicate and plan with each other concerning the child. If a father is unfit or unavailable to parent a child, or relinquishes the care of the child, the mother will be awarded custody. The court will consider the history of abuse, if any.