Tools for Boston Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Boston families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Boston move through the Suffolk Probate and Family Court, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Massachusetts uses its own words, "parenting time" where many states say visitation, and the tools follow Massachusetts's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Suffolk County.

Court for custody cases: Suffolk Probate and Family Court.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Voluntary; a judge can refer (Court-connected dispute resolution).

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-17).

Parenting class: Required statewide (Two Families Now).

State family law: Massachusetts General Laws Part II, Title III - Domestic Relations.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Boston

In Massachusetts, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

For therapists and counselors in Boston

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Boston, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Boston

In Massachusetts, custody mediation is voluntary, though a judge can refer a case. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-17). The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Boston. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Boston

Custody cases in Boston are heard in the Suffolk Probate and Family Court. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Probate and Family Court fee-generating appointment lists: The Probate and Family Court approves professionals for paid court appointments, including guardian ad litem investigators and evaluators. This is a statewide list that also covers Suffolk County.

Suffolk Probate and Family Court legal clinics: Free legal clinics for people with low income, with basic legal advice and help filling out Probate and Family Court forms. They are held at the court's Court Service Center.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Boston, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Boston: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Suffolk: Boston Court Service Center. Free one-on-one help with court forms and case questions for people without lawyers at the Brooke Courthouse.

Suffolk legal aid: Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, (617) 603-1700.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Boston?

The Probate and Family Court for Suffolk County is in Boston, with a satellite office at Chelsea District Court. It serves Boston and its neighborhoods, plus Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.

Where can parents in Boston get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Boston Court Service Center. Free legal aid: Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Boston?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Boston custody case?

The Probate and Family Court appoints a guardian ad litem to look into the facts in custody cases and report to the judge. A Category F GAL is an investigator, often a lawyer. A Category E GAL is an evaluator who can also do clinical mental health assessment. You may also see "GAL investigator", "GAL evaluator" and "GAL". This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Massachusetts?

Mediation in the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court is voluntary. A judge may require parents to take part in dispute intervention, where court probation officers act as neutrals to help them sort out where they disagree. The court also keeps a list of outside programs that offer mediation and other dispute resolution services.

Does Massachusetts use parenting coordinators?

A Probate and Family Court standing order governs parenting coordinators. One can be appointed by agreement or by court order, but only after a parenting plan, custody, or parenting time order exists. The judge keeps final say over custody.

Do parents in Massachusetts have to take a parenting class?

Parents in Probate and Family Court cases about custody or parenting time must take the Two Families Now online co-parenting course, unless the court waives it.