Massachusetts Divorce and Co-Parenting Resources

Where can I learn about divorce and Probate and Family Court?

• Massachusetts divorce information
  The main Massachusetts Trial Court page for divorce information, filing options, forms, and court procedures.
• What is a joint 1A divorce?
  Official instructions for spouses who have reached a complete agreement and plan to file jointly.
• What is a contested 1B divorce?
  Official information for cases in which only one spouse files or the spouses have not resolved every issue.
• Probate and Family Court forms
  Divorce, custody, parenting-time, child-support, modification, contempt, and other family-court forms.
• Probate and Family Court locations
  Court locations, contact information, virtual registries, and court services.
• Massachusetts Court Service Centers
  Help for people navigating court without an attorney, including assistance with forms and court procedures.
• Massachusetts Legal Help: Children, Families and Divorce
  Free, plain-language information about Massachusetts family law.

What should parents know about custody and parenting plans?

• Massachusetts child custody and parenting time
  Official court information about custody, parenting time, filing options, and court orders.
• Massachusetts law about custody and parenting time
  Massachusetts statutes, court rules, standards, and additional explanatory resources.
• Changing a custody or parenting-time order
  Official information about requesting a modification of an existing order.

Where can I find useful resources to develop a child-centered parenting plan?

• Shared Parenting Guide
  Model parenting plans and developmental context
• Co-Parenting Communication Guide
  Best practices for co-parenting communication
• What Is a Parenting Plan in Massachusetts?
  An overview of the decisions and details parents may address in a parenting plan.
• Divorce Mediation Checklist Toolkit
  A downloadable checklist developed by Ben Stich covering parenting plans, child-related expenses, property, support, and other divorce decisions.
• Your Kids and Divorce: Mediating a Child-First Divorce
  Ben Stich encourages parents to consider their children’s experience when making parenting decisions.

Where can I find Massachusetts child support information?

• Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines
  The current guidelines, worksheet, forms, and supporting information. The 2025 guidelines became effective December 1, 2025.
• Learn about the Child Support Guidelines
  A more accessible introduction to how the guidelines and worksheet are used.
• Massachusetts Child Support Services
  Information about establishing parentage and obtaining, enforcing, paying, or changing a child-support order.

How can I support my children during separation or divorce?

• How to Help Kids Through Divorce
  Guidance from the Child Mind Institute about common reactions and ways parents can support children.
• How to Tell Children About a Divorce
  Practical guidance for planning the conversation and providing children with reassurance.
• Dealing With Divorce—Sesame Workshop
  Videos, activities, and caregiver tools designed for families with young children.

What can help us communicate as co-parents?

• Improve Written Co-Parenting Communication
  An introduction to Brief, Informative, Friendly, and Firm—or BIFF—communication.
• Parent Mediation and Co-Parenting After Divorce
  Information about using mediation to address parenting schedules, communication, decision-making, child-related expenses, and other disagreements.
• FAQs Parents Ask About Separation, Divorce and Child Custody
  Family resources from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
• Massachusetts parent-education information
  Information about the court-approved “Two Families Now” online co-parenting course.
• UpToParents
  Free online activities that encourage parents to focus on their children and reduce harmful conflict.

Co-Parenting Communication and Scheduling Apps

Some families use online tools to organize parenting schedules, exchange information, track expenses, store documents, and maintain a record of communications.

• Informational list of common co-parenting platforms (California court resource)

This external list is provided for informational purposes. I do not recommend or endorse a particular platform.

• Co-Parenting Communication Guide
  Best practices for clear, child-focused communication between co-parents

What resources can help in high-conflict situations?

• How to Protect Children During a High-Conflict Divorce
  Guidance focused on reducing children’s exposure to parental conflict.
• High Conflict Institute
  Articles, books, training, and communication tools for managing high-conflict interactions.
• AFCC Family Resources
  Interdisciplinary resources about separation, family conflict, parenting, and child-related court matters.
• AFCC Practice Guidelines and Standards
  Professional guidance concerning parenting-plan evaluations, parenting coordination, intimate-partner violence, and court-involved family work.
• Massachusetts parenting-coordination rule
  The official Massachusetts Probate and Family Court standing order governing court-connected parenting coordination.
• Massachusetts Family Resolutions Specialty Court
  Information about a collaborative specialty-court option for some families experiencing custody and co-parenting disputes.

Where can I find domestic-violence and safety resources?

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

• SafeLink Massachusetts
  Massachusetts’ statewide, toll-free domestic-violence hotline: 877-785-2020, available 24 hours a day.
• Massachusetts domestic-violence programs
  A statewide directory of crisis, advocacy, shelter, and support programs.
• Jane Doe Inc. member programs
  A directory of sexual- and domestic-violence programs throughout Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts Legal Help: Domestic Violence
  Plain-language legal and safety information for Massachusetts residents.

What videos may be helpful?

• Sesame Workshop: Dealing With Divorce
• Sesame Street: Responding to Children’s Reactions
• Child Mind Institute family and divorce resources

• UpToParents’ Quick Help for Families in Transition collects short videos and related materials focused on protecting children from parental conflict.

  Featured videos include:

  • 12 Thoughts of Children Caught in Conflict—2 minutes
    Introduces feelings children may carry silently, including fear, shame, self-blame, divided loyalty, and pressure to take sides.
  • A Daughter Speaks About Survival—3 minutes
    A young person reflects on living through parental conflict and what helped her cope.
  • The Child Safety Zone Pledge—6 minutes
    Encourages parents to keep children out of adult disputes and create predictable boundaries around conflict.
  • 8 Hidden Keys No One Has Told You About—6 minutes
    Offers practical ways a parent can protect children regardless of what the other parent chooses to do.
  • The Relationship Wheel—9 minutes
    Explains the transition from an intimate relationship to a more structured, businesslike co-parenting relationship.
    Watch on UpToParents
  • Finishing Your Grieving—2 minutes
    Examines how unaddressed divorce grief can fuel anger, bargaining, and continuing conflict.
    Watch on UpToParents
  • 3 Girls’ Invisible Pain—8 minutes
    Three sisters describe how parental conflict affected holidays, transitions, their relationships with both parents, and their attempts to stop the fighting.

Parents and professionals should preview videos before sharing them with children and consider the child’s age, family circumstances, and emotional needs.

Massachusetts Organizations and Referral Sources

How can I learn about my specific court?

Massachusetts Probate and Family Court
Divorce, parentage, custody, parenting time, child support, court forms, locations, and virtual registries.
Visit the Probate and Family Court

Massachusetts Court Service Centers
Procedural and forms assistance for people navigating court, particularly those without attorneys.
Find a Court Service Center

Massachusetts Child Support Services Division
Help establishing parentage and obtaining, paying, enforcing, or modifying child support.
Visit Child Support Services

Where can I find legal help?

Massachusetts Legal Help
Free, plain-language legal information about divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, domestic violence, and related matters.
Visit Massachusetts Legal Help

Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder
Connects Massachusetts residents with legal-aid offices, court programs, and free or reduced-cost legal resources.
Use the Legal Resource Finder

Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
Statewide referrals to private attorneys.
Find a lawyer

What are mediation and Collaborative law?

Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation
A statewide professional organization with a searchable directory of family mediators.
Find a family mediator

Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council
Information and professional referrals for collaborative divorce and other out-of-court family matters.
Visit the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council

Mediation and Family Services, Inc.
Information about divorce mediation with Ben Stich and his team
Visit our divorce mediation page

Family-court and interdisciplinary resources

Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Resources for families and interdisciplinary professionals working with separation, divorce, and family-court matters.
Visit MA-AFCC

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
International interdisciplinary organization offering family resources, professional standards, research, and training.
Visit AFCC

How can I learn more about children and divorce?

Child Mind Institute
Clinician-reviewed articles for parents and professionals supporting children through family changes.
Visit the Child Mind Institute

Sesame Workshop
Developmentally appropriate activities and videos for young children and their caregivers.
Visit the divorce resource collection

National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Trauma-informed resources and training materials for child- and family-serving professionals.
Visit NCTSN

Domestic-violence and safety resources

SafeLink Massachusetts
Statewide 24-hour domestic-violence hotline: 877-785-2020.
SafeLink information

Jane Doe Inc.
The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, with a directory of local member programs.
Find a local program

About Ben Stich

Ben Stich, LICSW, M.Ed., is a Massachusetts divorce and family mediator with a background in child and family services. He provides divorce mediation, co-parenting mediation, family mediation, collaborative divorce coaching, and professional workshops.

Learn more about Ben
Learn about co-parenting mediation
Contact Ben