Single-mother families struggling in MA

Dividing one household into two on the same income that supported the one will have a dramatic, if not sometimes devastating, impact on the finances in both. Many divorcing couples fail to appreciate the certainty of this event ... the often harsh reality of no change in income, but a doubling of most major expenses.

Unfortunately, a recent report from the Crittenton Women’s Union, a 189-year-old institution that conducts research to help low-income women gain financial independence, illustrates this reality.  An estimated three out of four female-headed households in Massachusetts don’t earn enough to pay bills and raise their children.
 
Divorce mediation gives couples greater control over their decisions  They are not at the mercy of judges who often have to issue boilerplate judgments simply because they do not have time or enough detailed information to craft a personal plan for each family. Such important issues as developing realistic individual budgets for the restructuring of the family, what to do about the the couple's assets and liabilities, and spousal support can be discussed to, ultimately, reach a fair settlement tailored to a couple's particular needs.

Read the Boston Globe article on families in MA not making enough to meet their basic needs.