After you go through a divorce, there may be times when you want to make changes to your divorce decree. For example, if you accepted certain assets upon divorce but later discover that your ex-spouse hid assets, you and your attorney may petition the court to review what you’ve found.
Another good time to make changes to your decree would be if you were ordered to pay alimony but discover that your ex-spouse is remarried or has been living with a fiancee. Once people recouple and are supported by another party, the court may be willing to reduce what you pay or eliminate alimony requirements completely.
Far more common is the need to change custody. Many people have children before they divorce, and the initial custody plan they come up with may work in the foreseeable future. However, once their child begins to grow and have their own ideas and opinions, the need to change the parenting schedule may come up. If that’s the case for you, you can petition the court for a modification of your parenting plan.
In each of these cases, it is important that you have the right documentation and information to give to the court. For example, if you want to stop paying alimony, you’ll need proof that the other party no longer needs it or has remarried. If you want to change your custody arrangements, you should prepare information about what you’d like in the future and why it’s a necessary change.
Our site has more on post-decree modifications and what you can do to resolve future problems.