October 29, 2026

Post Emancipation Support for Adult Children with Disabilities: The Question of Duty to Support Adult Children Under Massachusetts Law

Register here

4:00–6:00 p.m.
Live webcast and recording available

Social Law Description

Massachusetts courts, family law attorneys and disability law attorneys continue to grapple with one of the long-term financially impactful and unsettled questions in the law of parents and children: whether, and under what circumstances, parents may be required to continue supporting their disabled adult children after emancipation and long into adulthood. Through a detailed examination of leading Massachusetts appellate decisions and recent published and unpublished decisions, this program explores the legal foundations, limits, and practical application of post-emancipation support obligations.

Designed for family law, probate litigators, disability law attorneys, guardians ad litem, parent coordinators, guardianship/conservatorship lawyers, and judges, this presentation analyzes the development of Massachusetts law through landmark decisions including Feinberg v. Diamant, Eccleston v. Bankosky, Vaida v. Vaida, Norris v. Norris, and related cases. Particular attention will be paid to the statutory framework governing child support, the distinction between support for minor and adult children, the Courts’ equitable powers through MGL Chapter 215 Section 6 to order a financially able parent to provide support to an emancipated adult child, the role of disability in extending parental obligations, and the differing treatment of married, divorced, and never-married parents. This program will examine how courts have interpreted the concepts of dependency, disability, emancipation, and continuing need, ability for self-support, the role of guardianship and conservatorship, the impact of disability benefits, government benefits such as SSI, special needs trusts, and an incapacitated person’s ability to support oneself through earned and unearned income and assets, as well as the procedural vehicles available to seek support. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the factual and legal considerations that influence judicial decisions in these cases and the emerging trends that continue to shape this area of family law.

Faculty
Hon. Michael Anderson, Probate and Family Court
Hon. Lee M. Peterson, Probate and Family Court
David E Cherny, Atwood & Cherny
Lisa M. Cukier, Rubin Rudman (moderator)
Annette M. Hines, Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts, PC