Home / Family Law / Guide

What are Modifications in Family Law?

Are you divorced and dealing with a decree or child custody agreement that no longer serves you or your family? Here's what you should know about family law modifications.

Updated June 2021 · 2 min read

Now that some time has passed, are you interested in modifying your divorce decree or child custody agreement? That’s where modifications in family law come in. Here are the basics of how they can help your family.

Common Modifications

Some things that are subject to modification include:

  • Financial obligations including child and spousal support
  • Child custody agreements
  • Visitation schedules
  • Property division if there are previously unknown assets

Reasons for Modifications

The most common reasons for a request for modifications in family law include:

  • Situation changes including financial changes that make it difficult for one party to make child support payments
  • Financial changes that create difficulties for the parent with primary custody to support the child or children
  • Circumstances that put the child or children’s stability in jeopardy, such as parental illness or inability to provide adequate care and support
  • When one parent wishes to relocate

How to Make the Modifications

Things change in marriages that lead to divorce, and things change after a divorce leading to the need for modifications to agreements. Though the agreements may have made sense several years ago, they might not work for everyone anymore. Requesting and implementing the changes generally requires more than just a conversation but often requires an order by the court.

If your family would benefit from family law modifications, you don’t have to navigate the process on your own. Contact the knowledgeable family law team at McCutchen and McLean, LLC for the legal services and assistance you need to support the needs of you and your family.

Whatever's next, don't walk into it alone.

Straight answers from a Lexington attorney — no pressure, no obligation.