Right to counsel
Massachusetts
,
Legislation
, Custody Disputes - Children
in Balboni v. Balboni, 654 N.E.2d 937, 938 (Mass. Ct. App. 1995), the court held that in a divorce proceeding, a child must be appointed counsel pursuant to M.G.L. ch. 119, § 29 if the child is not able to retain counsel when involvement of the Department of Social Services becomes imminent and the judge is considering awarding custody of the children to the Department of Social Services.
Appointment of Counsel: Yes
Qualified: Yes
