Life never stays the same, especially after a couple gets divorced. If your life has changed in a significant way and your divorce agreement no longer reflects your current situation in life, you may qualify for a post-judgment modification. Continue reading and contact a Memphis, Tennessee post-judgment modification lawyer from Rice Law to learn more.
Post-Judgment Modification Lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee | Helping You Navigate Significant Life Changes
Any legal matter concerning you, your ex-spouse, or your child should not be handled without the assistance of a knowledgeable Memphis, Tennessee family law attorney. Our firm is dedicated to fighting for the best interests of families and their children, and if you need to update your initial divorce agreement, you’ve come to the right place.
Modifying an Existing Court Order in Tennessee
If you and your spouse or ex-spouse agree to change the terms of a court order (Temporary Support Order, Final Decree, or any other), you must change it with another order. If your spouse says, “You don’t have to pay alimony for the next year if you will take the children to Disneyland this summer,” you must get it in writing and entered in court for it to be binding on your spouse and to protect you from contempt.
However, if you and your spouse cannot reach an agreement on your own, yet you need to change child support, custody, or certain types of alimony, you can petition the court for a change. If you show a change of circumstances, then the court may modify these provisions. The changes of circumstances that most impress the court are those changes that you do not expect: “I lost my job because the company went bankrupt.” The courts are less sympathetic to “I just don’t want to work as hard as I used to work.”
Common Grounds for Post-Divorce Modifications
As previously stated, to achieve a modification to an existing court order, either you and your spouse must agree to the new terms, or, if you can’t agree, you must prove to the courts that you have encountered a significant, continuing, and unexpected change. Some of the most common reasons for modifying the following divorce-related terms are as follows:
- Child Custody: A child has a significant schedule change, one parent has proven themselves to be parentally unfit, or a custodial parent wishes to move away with their child. In some cases, however, a parent who was once denied custody on the grounds of being parentally unfit may regain custody if they can prove that they remedied the issue and will act in their child’s best interests.
- Child Support/Alimony: There are a wide array of scenarios that may warrant modifications to support payments, such as one spouse receiving a promotion/demotion, one spouse requiring costly medical treatment, one spouse remarrying, having a child with special needs that requires an extension on support payments past the age of emancipation, and more.
Contact a Memphis, Tennessee Post-Judgment Modification Lawyer
The bottom line is that if you or your child recently experienced a significant and continuing change and you believe you qualify for a post-judgment modification, the most important thing you can do is speak with a competent Memphis, Tennessee post-judgment modification lawyer at once. Contact Rice Law today to schedule your initial consultation with our seasoned legal team.
