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Modifying Family Law Orders

Life is constantly changing. Over time a family law order can become out of date, and stop meeting your family’s needs. When this happens, it’s time for a modification.

At the Law Offices of Maribeth Blessing, LLC, we help clients modify their child custody, child support and alimony orders to better reflect their current lives.

Modifying Child Support, Spousal Support And Alimony

A support modification requires a substantial change in circumstances. For example, the party paying child or spousal support may have lost his/her job, or may have gotten a promotion and a pay increase. A change in child custody could also trigger a modification to child support. Alimony may or may not be modifiable depending on whether it was court ordered or part of a property settlement agreement, and depending on the terms of the agreement.

Modifying Child Custody

As in other issues related to custody, the court uses the best interests of the child as the standard against which modification requests are evaluated. Sometimes requests for custody modification are generated by a significant change in a parent or child’s circumstances, such as:

  • Job loss
  • Disability
  • Parent relocation
  • Permanent change in work schedule

However, a substantial change in circumstances is not required. All that needs to be shown is that a modification is in the best interests of the children. For example, a modification may also be driven by a child’s change in needs or a parent’s change in his or her interactions with the child or children.

Resolving Disagreements About Modifications

Oftentimes, parents do not agree on whether a custody or support order should be modified. Instead of litigating these issues in court, our lawyers believe a better path to dispute resolution can often be achieved through mediation or collaborative law.

These alternative dispute resolution (ADR) paths are less contentious. Instead of pitting each side against each other, they encourage cooperation and a team approach. The results are often more in-line with what the family, as a whole needs, and often offer a faster and more cost-efficient solution.

Contact Attorney Maribeth Blessing

If you are wondering whether you can modify your child custody or support order — or want to prevent the other parent from modifying a family law order — contact our firm. Call us at 215-392-0849 or 866-603-8691 to schedule a consultation. Our office is located in Rockledge, Pennsylvania.