Opinion ID: 2405298
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: uifsa

Text: We first address Wife's assertion under UIFSA. To determine whether it was proper for the trial court to apply New Hampshire law to the payment of the children's college expenses, we must examine whether payment of college expenses is modifiable under Massachusetts law. If payment of college expenses is modifiable under Massachusetts law, then the trial court did not err by applying New Hampshire law to this aspect of the parties' divorce. See RSA 546-B:14, :49, II; Unif. Interstate Family Support Act § 611 (amended 2008), 9-IB U.L.A. 255, 259 (2005); In re Marriage of Crosby & Grooms, 10 Cal.Rptr.3d at 151-52; Groseth, 600 N.W.2d at 168. Massachusetts General Laws chapter 208, § 28 provides, in pertinent part: The court may make appropriate orders of maintenance, support and education of any child who has attained age eighteen but who has not attained age twenty-one and who is domiciled in the home of a parent, and is principally dependent upon said parent for maintenance. The court may make appropriate orders of maintenance, support and education of any child who has attained age twenty-one but who has not attained age twenty-three, if such child is domiciled in the home of a parent, and is principally dependent upon said parent for maintenance due to the enrollment of such child in an educational program, excluding educational costs beyond an undergraduate degree. This provision allows, but does not mandate, that divorced parents contribute to the college expenses of their children. College expenses are, thus, subject to modification under Massachusetts law. Massachusetts case law supports this conclusion. The parties here included a college expense provision in their original separation agreement, which was expressly merged with their Massachusetts divorce decree. This provision provided: A. The Husband and Wife agree that the children should receive the best college education available to them in light of their aptitude and interests. One year before a child is scheduled to attend college, the parties shall meet and discuss the financial responsibility each of them shall bear for the cost of college tuition, room, board, books and transportation fees of the child. If they cannot resolve the issue, either party may petition the Middlesex Probate Court for a resolution of the matter. B. The Husband and Wife agree that the choice of educational institution for the children shall be made on the basis of joint consultation with due regard for the children's aptitudes, interests and desires. The parties' divorce decree stated that all provisions relating to the children merged with the judgment. Under Massachusetts law, therefore, this provision merged with the decree and could be modified only for a material change of circumstances. See Bercume v. Bercume, 428 Mass. 635, 704 N.E.2d 177, 181-82 (1999); Mandel v. Mandel, 74 Mass.App.Ct. 348, 906 N.E.2d 1016, 1019 (2009). As the original decree did not require the parties to pay their children's college expenses in any specific proportion or amount, under Massachusetts law, had the parties been unable to agree about payment of college expenses, they would have had to seek court modification of the original decree. The fact that a child was nearing college age, wanted to attend college, and was preparing to do so, would constitute a material change of circumstances sufficient to justify modifying the decree. Cabot v. Cabot, 55 Mass.App.Ct. 756, 774 N.E.2d 1113, 1122 (2002). The trial court would retain discretion, however, to decide whether such expenses were warranted. In Purdy v. Colangelo, 61 Mass.App.Ct. 362, 810 N.E.2d 844 (2004), for instance, the trial court declined to award these expenses, and the appellate court affirmed, when the wife did not request the expenses until after the child had already graduated from college. Thus, particularly under the circumstances here, payment of college expenses is modifiable under Massachusetts law. Therefore, pursuant to UIFSA, the trial court correctly applied New Hampshire law.