Whether your divorce was finalized with an agreement or by a court order, you have options after you sign. Divorce modification is more common than most people realize, and can be a relatively painless process with the help of an experienced attorney.
You may wish to modify your divorce for any number of reasons; your life is not static, and a document you agreed to in the past may become less and less relevant to you as time goes by. Whatever the reasons, the following are the four most common types of modifications after a divorce is finalized:
- Child support agreements. With children in the picture, things can change very quickly. A modification to a child support agreement will be necessary, for example, when your minor child reaches the age of majority. This necessitates a formal filing with the court to eliminate child support for the child who is no longer a minor.
- Child custody agreements. Loss of a job, promotions, relocations, or even changes in health can affect how a parent is physically and emotionally able to care for a child. A parent who develops a health condition or disease which requires frequent hospital stays or procedures like dialysis may be too tired or weak to offer his or her full parental attention. On the other hand, a parent whose job status has changed may now be offered a more set schedule or different hours, allowing him or her to spend more time with the children than the original order accounted for. With their frequent relocations, active duty military parents can particularly benefit from modifications to a custody agreement, as their physical location may change more often than that of civilian parents.
- Alimony agreements. If you are paying alimony, a change in your income or loss of a job can require changes to make sure you do not violate the terms of the agreement and face penalties.
Amending court documents can be complicated, and requires a thorough knowledge of Maryland procedures. If your circumstances have changed recently for any reason, you may benefit from amending your divorce decree. You can make changes to better your life; we can help.
The lawyers at Cynthia H. Clark & Associates, LLC have the skills and experience necessary to successfully modify any family law document, and can thoroughly and expediently aid you. Whether your modification request is met amicably or will require amending a court order, you can count on our experienced attorneys to provide you unparalleled assistance. Please contact us to reserve a consultation at our Annapolis office location.
