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December 05, 2025 Clouds | 13°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  1. General Laws
  2. Part II REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS
  3. Title III DOMESTIC RELATIONS
  4. Chapter 209C CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
  5. Section 23 Intermarriage of parents; jurisdiction

Section 23

Section 23: Intermarriage of parents; jurisdiction

[ Subsection (a) effective until January 1, 2025. For text effective January 1, 2025, see below.]

  Section 23. (a) If, after adjudication of paternity or voluntary acknowledgment of parentage, the parents of the child intermarry, any order or judgments of the court relative to support, custody, visitation and restraint on personal liberty shall be null and void, except as to any support arrearage which is owed to the commonwealth as reimbursement for public assistance and which accrued before the date that the parents intermarry and the court shall have no continuing jurisdiction over the parties under this chapter.

[ Subsection (a) as amended by 2024, 166, Sec. 64 effective January 1, 2025. See 2024, 166, Sec. 67. For text effective until January 1, 2025, see above.]

  (a) If, after adjudication of parentage or voluntary acknowledgment of parentage, the parents of the child intermarry, any order or judgments of the court relative to support, custody, visitation and restraint on personal liberty shall be null and void, except as to any support arrearage which is owed to the commonwealth as reimbursement for public assistance and which accrued before the date that the parents intermarry and the court shall have no continuing jurisdiction over the parties under this chapter.

[ Subsection (b) effective until January 1, 2025. For text effective January 1, 2025, see below.]

  (b) If, after proceedings are commenced but before an adjudication of paternity is issued, the parents intermarry, the court may adjudicate paternity hereunder but shall have no other jurisdiction over the child or the parents under this chapter.

[ Subsection (b) as amended by 2024, 166, Sec. 64 effective January 1, 2025. See 2024, 166, Sec. 67. For text effective until January 1, 2025, see above.]

  (b) If, after proceedings are commenced but before an adjudication of parentage is issued, the parents intermarry, the court may adjudicate parentage hereunder but shall have no other jurisdiction over the child or the parents under this chapter.

[ Subsection (c) effective until January 1, 2025. For text effective January 1, 2025, see below.]

  (c) An action under this chapter may be commenced after the intermarriage of the parents of the child only to determine paternity.

[ Subsection (c) as amended by 2024, 166, Sec. 64 effective January 1, 2025. See 2024, 166, Sec. 67. For text effective until January 1, 2025, see above.]

  (c) An action under this chapter may be commenced after the intermarriage of the parents of the child only to determine parentage.