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Child support agreements need court approval

by | Dec 14, 2013 | Child Support, Modifications |

Previously, I wrote about the dangers of parents making an agreement for child support and not seeking approval from a court. A recent case, Zizza v. Zizza, from the Massachusetts Appellate Division (Oct. 27, 2014) is an example of the problems created when parents make an agreement without judicial approval.
In the Zizza case, the parties, after a foreign divorce, entered into a private agreement regarding property divisionchild custody, visitation, and child support. The agreement also had a clause that stated that the agreement could not be be modified by any court. This agreement eventually resulted in litigation in Massachusetts District Court with the court ordering a modification of the child support obligation. On appeal, the Appellate Division upheld the modification of child support. The court added a comment which explained that the Massachusetts Legislature has declared that it is against public policy to make an agreement that prevents the courts from changing child support obligations.
If you are about to make an agreement for child support you should consult a lawyer who is experienced in family law to make sure you don’t fall into a child support trap.
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