Texas Child Support Modification and Enforcement
There are many reasons why the provisions of a divorce decree might need to be changed after the divorce is final: an extended period of involuntary unemployment will affect a parent's ability to pay child support, or deployment of a National Guard unit to active overseas service will compel changes to a parent's possession schedule under a joint managing conservatorship agreement. If you have questions about your right to seek modification of any provision of your divorce decree, or if you think that your former spouse's request for modification would be unfair to you and not in the best interest of your child, contact an experienced and aggressive family law child support attorney at Bertolino LLP for dependable advice on Child Support Modification and Enforcement.
You need to show a significant change of circumstances in order to convince the court to raise or lower child support payments in the best interest of your child; ordinarily, the change of circumstances will have to amount to a 20 percent difference in the amount of the monthly obligation. Additionally, the original decree will usually need to have been in place for at least three years before the Family Court will consider a change. In cases involving a showing of extreme hardship, however, the court can grant a motion for modification at any time.
Child custody, visitation, or spousal maintenance orders can also be modified on the basis of a similar showing of substantial changed circumstances. In any modification or enforcement proceeding, however, you might encounter problems with jurisdiction if the parent or spouse with primary custody of the child has moved to another county. At Bertolino LLP, our long experience with the Texas Family Code means that we can identify and usually resolve the procedural obstacles that stand between you and what you need to achieve.
Our aggressive family law attorneys, who specialize in child support modifications, can also help you enforce the terms of an order concerning child support, visitation, alimony, or any other feature of the divorce decree. Some violations of the Family Court decree can expose the party at fault to a finding of contempt of court. Different judges deal with enforcement cases in different ways, and our lawyers' familiarity with the courts in different counties can give you an idea of what you might expect in any given case.
To learn more about our ability to represent your best interests effectively in any modification or enforcement proceeding following your divorce, contact an Austin or Houston family law attorney at Bertolino LLP.
Contact a Texas or Florida Child Support Lawyer at Bertolino LLP
Bertolino LLP maintains offices in Austin, Houston and San Antonio. To reach an attorney in the Austin office, call 512.476.5757. For the Houston office, call 713.225.7474. You may also contact the firm by e-mail.
