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Probation Department
Here you will learn valuable
information regarding the Probation Department within the
Court. Click on a quick link below to read about:
WHO
ARE THE PROBATION OFFICERS?
The Probation Officer is a trained professional
As a representative of the Court, the Probation Officer is
responsible for providing services to the Court, and for
enforcing the Court orders.
In addition, the Probation Officer has the
responsibility to provide assistance and service to the
individual or family before the Court.
Probation Officers in the Probate and Family Court
provide services, upon the direction of the Judge, in matters
of divorce, legal separation, and adoptions.
Their efforts are directed toward protecting the best
interest of the children.
These interests can be served through several functions
of the Probation officer; dispute intervention, conducting
investigations into areas of child custody, visitation and
support.
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WHEN
MIGHT YOU NEED TO GO TO THE PROBATION OFFICE?
If you are scheduled to go before the Court for a
hearing, sometimes the Assistant Register (the person sitting
beside the Judge in the Courtroom) will send you to the Family
Service Office or Probation Office of the Court.
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If
you come to the Court for matters of Guardianship, the
Court might ask you to go to the Family Service Office
for an interview with the Probation Officer. |
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If the court orders you
into a “Job Search”, you might need to go to the
Probation Office at least one time per week to prove
that you are actively seeking employment |
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The
court might order you into “Community Service”,
if so, it is the Probation Office that oversees your
time. |
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If the court orders
you into a “Substance Abuse Testing”, you
might need to go to the Probation Office, wherein
you will be assigned to a Probation Officer who
will oversee your testing, and report to the Court
findings. You
could be asked to provide a urine sample, or you
may be asked to take a breathalyzer, or you may be
ordered to go to an outside facility. |
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The Court might
order an investigation into the areas of child
custody, visitation and support.
If that is the case, a Probation Officer
will conduct the investigation, which might
include the following: |
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A Home Visit to your home; |
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An interview with yourself,
your spouse or significant other; |
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An interview with
pediatricians, school officials,
neighbors, etc |
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An
interview with your children, either at
home or in the Probation Office at the
Court |
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The Court can enter any order that might use the
Probation Department for any of the above
activities or any other that the court
might deem meet and just.
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IF
YOU ARE TOLD BY THE COURT TO GO TO THE
PROBATION OFFICE, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
The Family Service Office has
highly trained Probation Officers who are
responsible for providing services to the
Court and for enforcing the Court Orders.
They are responsible to provide
assistance and service to the individual
or family before their Court hearing.
Upon entering the Family Service
Office, you will be required to fill out a
“Family Service Intake Form” (This
form MUST be printed on blue, acid free
paper.
Click
for form.) The Intake form provides the Probation Officer with important
information, and is required by the
Commissioner of Probation in Boston,
Massachusetts.
Then both parties, with your
attorneys, will sit down with a Probation
Officer to discuss a possible agreement.
This is called Dispute
Intervention.
The Probation Officer IS NOT an
attorney and can not give legal advice.
They are there to help the parties
come to an agreement.
Two things can happen in this
meeting:
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You can come to an
agreement, which will be
incorporated into a Judgment or
Order in your case; or |
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You do not come
to an agreement, at which time you
will go before the Court and the
Judge decides on your contested
issues |
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