The haze of the divorce process may have caused you to agree to terms you now believe are not fair. Is there any way to go back and change things?
A divorce decree modification is possible when you can show your changed circumstances make it difficult to follow the decree. However, not everything in that decree is eligible for change. Discover some of the areas of your divorce decree that you may modify with the court’s assistance.
Financial support
Whether you pay or receive child or spousal support, the court may agree to alter the amount. If you suffer a job loss or demotion that causes a financial hardship, a court may approve your modification petition. However, if you leave a job to take a downgrade, a judge may believe you did so on purpose to benefit. Do not quit a job or take a downgrade unless you have no plausible choice.
Child custody
Child custody, or the division of who has legal rights to children, may prove difficult to change after the initial divorce decree. Judges usually like to see both parties co-parent and maintain joint legal custody. However, if the other parent endangers the children or you have evidence that there is psychological harm occurring, such as parental alienation, then a modification of custody may prove necessary.
Child visitation
The schedule you set out for physical custody of children and parenting time may no longer work. If your ex is amenable, you may self-regulate the schedule as you continue past the divorce. However, it may become necessary to memorialize the new parenting time agreement or seek a judge’s help in reaching one.
Choosing a decree modification may assist with getting you on firmer footing after your divorce.
