Life moves on after your marriage ends, often in ways you could never expect. Perhaps now that there is less tension at home, your job performance has improved and you just got a raise. Perhaps your ex is the one who has seen their career take off since the divorce.
On the other hand, you could find yourself in a position where you unexpectedly lose your job and have to worry about meeting your obligations every month until you find new work. If you have children that you share with your ex or if you receive alimony payments, major changes in your circumstances or theirs might justify going back to court to ask for a modification.
A modification is a formal change to a child support or alimony order, and such formal updates may be necessary when your financial situation significantly changes.
When are support modifications necessary?
The Missouri family courts set support amounts based on your family’s circumstances at the time of your court proceedings. The amount of money each spouse earns and the division of other property, as well as the division of parenting time for the children, can influence exactly how much support the courts order.
Even in a scenario where someone has lost their job entirely, the state will not fully absolve them of child support obligations. Still, the courts may reduce someone’s child support obligations temporarily so that they can still pay their other bills while looking for a new job. A timely modification request can protect someone paying support by reducing how much they go into arrears after losing their job or experiencing some other sort of financial hardship.
Good fortune modifications can also be possible
In scenarios where one parent starts making substantially more money than they did before, the courts may determine that they should pay more in child support or that they should receive less because of how their income increased.
Typically, a thorough review of the family’s custody arrangements and income will be necessary during a support modification hearing. Understanding what circumstances may justify a modification request and how to present your case in court can potentially help you increase how much child support or alimony you receive or even reduce how much you pay in support to your ex.