Orlando Family Modification Lawyer
Have circumstances in your life changed so that you can no longer afford to pay the same amount of alimony or child support? Have your needs or the needs of your child changed so that you now need a different amount of money than was ordered at the time of your divorce? When you and your spouse seek a divorce, the court will hand down a variety of orders regarding things such as alimony, parenting time, and division of property. Whether you agree with a court’s order at the time it is made is irrelevant; you are legally bound to adhere to it. However, with time, whether or not a divorce order is sensible may change as your circumstances do. When this is the case, you may need to petition the court for a modification of a divorce order. Doing so is a legally-intensive process and should only be pursued with the counsel of an experienced Orlando family modification lawyer.
Orders that Can Be Modified Following a Florida Divorce
Certain orders in a divorce cannot be changed. For example, once a property division determination is made, parties cannot request modification.
Parties can, however, request modification of a parenting plan, child custody (timesharing), or alimony order.
When Can a Divorce Order Be Modified?
A divorce order is only changeable when modification makes reasonable sense and is necessary based on a significant change in circumstances. For example, if one parent loses their job and is unable to work for many months, forcing them to continue paying alimony, or continue paying a child support amount that based on a previous income level, may be unreasonable. Or, if a parent who is the primary caregiver to a child plans to move out of state, a modification of a parenting plan may need to be made to change parenting time or reassess parental responsibilities.
Ways to Modify a Divorce Order
When parties maintain an amicable relationship, modifying a divorce order may be fairly simple. In fact, if you and your former spouse can come to an agreement about modification, you can file the new proposed plan with the court. If you cannot come to an agreement, you will need to file a petition for modification, and then serve the petition upon the other parent. In some cases, you may need to go to court in order to get a divorce order modified.
How Our Law Firm Can Help
We know that circumstances in your life change, and when they do, a court order that was issued years – or even months – ago may no longer be feasible or reasonable. When this is the case, our attorneys can assist you by:
- Helping you to determine which issues are and are not modifiable;
- Filing an agreement for modification with your spouse;
- Filing a petition for modification with the court;
- Gathering and presenting evidence to the court; and
- Representing you during a hearing.
We have the experience you are looking for in an Orlando family law and divorce modification lawyer, and will always put your best interests first. If you have a need to modify a part of your divorce judgment, contact our Orlando law firm today. You can reach the Donna Hung Law Group online or by phone now.
