Many people think that once a divorce is done with, it’s done for good and that there isn’t anything else they need to do regarding the divorce. While this may be true for a lot of splitting couples, it isn’t for each one. In fact, it may be necessary for divorced spouses to pursue legal modification(s) after going through a legal divorce. These situations include but are not excluded to:

One Ex-Spouse’s Financial Situation Changes

Did the spouse receiving alimony suddenly lose their job due to, say, the pandemic and now requires more alimony to live semi-comfortably? Maybe even the ex-spouse providing alimony lost their job and is now struggling to make payments. Or, maybe the spouse receiving alimony now took on a high-paying job and no longer requires financial assistance through alimony or requires less.

Either way, when there is a major financial change going on to one or both of the spouses after the divorce, a modification in alimony may be vital.

An Ex-Spouse is No Longer Able to Care for Their Child

One of the spouses may no longer be able to take adequate care of the child they share with their ex at some point after the divorce. For instance, maybe the spouse with full or partial custody is going through a medical situation that is preventing them from being able to be physically present with and financially provide for their child, leaving the parent no choice but to have the other parent take custody of the child. It’s also a possibility that one of the ex-spouses is mentally unstable or is turning towards a path of drugs, resulting in the other parent wanting to obtain full custody of their shared child to keep the child safe.

Whatever it may be, if one of the exes can’t take care of their child, they may want to modify their child custody agreement, especially for the sake of the child’s overall safety, happiness, and wellbeing as a whole.

Caring for a Child is Becoming More Expensive

As time goes on, sometimes caring for a child can get pricier. This is especially true if the child has a disability or was recently involved in some sort of accident. A situation like this may make it imperative for a post-divorce modification if, say, an ex-spouse with full or partial custody will require more alimony to pay for the child’s increasing expenses or if they are unable to meet the increasing needs of the child, but the other parent can (e.g., offering wheelchair accommodations in the home, having more availability to take the child to the hospital on a regular basis, etc.).

Seeking a post-divorce modification? Reach out to Divorce Attorney, Torrence L. Howell, today if you live in or near Ontario, CA.