Houston Modification Attorneys

Helping You Modify Child Support and Custody Orders

In adjudicating your divorce, a court will decide who retains custody of any minor children, the extent of visitation rights, and amounts for child and spousal support. A judge may make decisions that you do not agree with. It is fair to be frustrated if you are now struggling to keep up with support payments or only get limited windows to visit your children, but you are still legally obligated to accept the court’s decisions.

A court’s decision involving a divorce case is only made under present circumstances and with the evidence available at the time. Because life can rapidly and dramatically change, different circumstances might make a court’s initial decision untenable. In these circumstances, a court can be persuaded to issue a post-judgment modification to child and/or spousal support orders.

Our Houston modification lawyers at Myers & Associates, PLLC can give you the legal guidance you need to effectively pursue a modification of child support, spousal support, or visitation rights. Founding attorney Susan Myres is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has over 3 decades of experience navigating divorce matters. Our firm leverages this knowledge to help our clients get the modifications they need and deserve.

If you believe you need a modification to a child or spousal support order, we want to help. Call (713) 322-9810 or contact us online to discuss your case.

What Qualifies as a Significant Change in Circumstance?

In order for any request for modification to be successful, you will need to demonstrate that the family involved has experienced a significant change in circumstances. It is important to understand that modifications are not equivalent to appeals: You cannot merely simply a modification because you believe an initial decision was unreasonable or unfair.

What counts as a significant change in circumstances will depend on the type of modification you are requesting. What may qualify for a visitation rights modification might not also apply for a child support modification, for example. Our team can assess your situation, review the facts, and advise whether a modification request is viable.

In many situations, the following may be recognized as a significant change in circumstances:

• The loss of a job or significant loss of income limits a parent’s ability to care for the child or pay support
• A severe injury or ongoing health issue prevents one parent from adequately caring for the child
• A planned move out of state makes current visitation protocols untenable
• A parent gets remarried
• A parent gets a new, higher paying job or a substantial infusion of income or lucrative assets
• A parent exhibits physically or emotionally abusive behavior or otherwise creates an unsafe environment for a child
• A parent abuses drugs and alcohol
• The child experiences a substantial change in material needs

Even if both parents agree that a modification is necessary, a formal agreement from a court is still required. Our Houston modification attorneys can help you navigate this process and vigorously advocate on your behalf if there is resistance to the requested adjustment.