In life, few things are ever set in stone. This includes your Pasadena divorce judgment. You can't ask to go back to court just because you're unhappy with the terms of the initial settlement, but it is possible to seek a modification if you have a legitimate reason for doing so.
Many divorce modifications are related to the needs of children the divorcing couple has together. The most common requests are related to increasing or decreasing child support amounts. To increase child support, there must be a noted increase in the expenses the child requires. For example, a child who requires expensive therapy for a newly diagnosed medical condition might be entitled to additional child support from the non-custodial parent. To decrease child support, there must be a decrease in the income of the parent paying the support. A parent who has been laid off or is now employed in a lower paying position would have a good reason to request a reduction in child support.
Modifications can also be obtained if a non-custodial parent is seeking an increase in visitation time or wants to change the custody order. Physical or emotional abuse of the child or drug or alcohol abuse by the custodial parent would be examples of situations where a change in the original custody agreement might be deemed appropriate.
Alimony adjustments follow the same general rules as child support adjustments. There must be a substantial change in the needs of the recipient or the ability of the paying spouse to continue to provide support before the court will change the original order.
Post-divorce modifications are done solely at the discretion of the court. The process can be quite involved, so it's highly recommended that you seek out the assistance of an experienced family law attorney if this is an option you are interested in pursuing.
How Can We Help?
If you are interested in a modification of your original divorce judgment, please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com. Our Pasadena family law lawyers can explain what steps need to be taken to prepare your case.