Massachusetts General Laws ch. 209B sec. 10 – Foreign courts; evidentiary hearings; transfer of information; orders to appear within state; expenses
Section 10. (a) A court of the commonwealth may request the appropriate court of another state to hold a hearing to adduce evidence, to order a party to produce or give evidence under other procedures of that state, or to have an investigation made with respect to the custody of a child involved in proceedings pending in the court of the commonwealth; and to forward to the court of the commonwealth certified copies of the transcript of the record of the hearing, the evidence otherwise adduced, or any investigation prepared in compliance with the request. The cost of these services may be assessed against the parties.
Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 209B sec. 10
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
(b) A court of the commonwealth may request the appropriate court of another state to order a party to custody proceedings pending in the court of the commonwealth to appear in the proceedings, and if that party has physical custody of the child, to appear with the child. The request may state that travel and other reasonable and necessary expenses of the party and of the child whose appearance is desired may be assessed against another party or may otherwise be paid.