It’s easy to assume that you’re stuck with the agreement you made during your divorce for the rest of your life. But divorce judgments can – and often should – be modified when circumstances change significantly for you, your ex-spouse or your children.
Some situations where a divorce modification may be appropriate include the following:
- There is a big increase or decrease in the earning potential of you or your ex
- One parent is moving far enough away to make visitation much more difficult
- One parent has become very sick, faces criminal charges or is otherwise unable to care for your children
- The children have significantly different financial or emotional needs now than they did at the time of the divorce
These and other situations can warrant changes to alimony, child custody, child support or visitation arrangements.
Modification process
You’ll usually return to the same court where you originally filed your divorce to file your motion to modify.
If you think you’d like to petition a court for a divorce modification, a divorce attorney can help you through the process – and help you convince the court that your circumstances have changed enough to justify your request.
