We can not get away from it. Divorce causes change. Growing children cause change. Life brings about change. We get used to one thing, and the next minute, we have to figure out something new. Change is not always a bad thing, as many of us learn. However, when change brings about the need to modify a divorce or custody agreement, it can stir up a battle.
It doesn’t always have to be this way. Modifications can happen fairly quickly in some cases. Supportpay can assist with change caused by divorce. If you and your former spouse see eye to eye on the changes, then you can write up a new agreement, take it to the court clerk, and get a new court order. You are always advised still to get direction from a lawyer to make sure the wording works and that your new court order makes sense and will hold up in front of a judge, if that were ever necessary.
If you and your former spouse do not agree, before you go seek out the expensive and drawn out lawyer process, you can try mediation. The goal of mediation is to help the two of you reach an agreement and come to a mutual decision that is best for everyone involved. This is an inexpensive avenue if you are trying to avoid lawyer fees, and it can also be a good route that helps keep the peace.
Be sure that your modifications are going to hold up. If you make a change that wasn’t put in writing, or backed up by a court order, then you can be held liable for what the original agreement was. For example, if you and your spouse decided upon a lesser child support amount from now on, that is great for you. But if your ex-spouse changes their mind later and wants the original amount, you will be held liable for paying that in arrears since that is what the agreement states.
Making changes to your original agreement is inevitable as the children grow, jobs change, families move, medical situations arise, and things just maybe work differently than what you thought. Just be sure to go through the correct processes so that you can receive what you are due, and take care of your family in the best possible way.