By Amanda Driscoll, Law Clerk*

NOTE:  This article is for informational purposes only.  To request an ARC attorney, interested individuals will need to contact the court in the county where their case is located.  

Some of the most significant issues in Massachusetts Family and Probate Courts are those involving unemancipated children.  The court has jurisdiction over those children pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 208, Sections 19, 28, 28A, 29, 30, 31 and 31A.  In 2013, a program called Attorneys Representing Children (ARC) started in Massachusetts which an attorney voluntarily represents the child’s interest in a divorce case or other probate matter.

In determining the outcome of these cases, the court must consider what is in the best interest of the child.  Accordingly, a child’s preference is one piece that may be helpful to the court for this determination.  There is a wide variety of other resources available to the court in identifying the child’s desires and interests.

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