Keeping Up With The Life Changes After Your Divorce

When you and your spouse divorced, you may have reached a settlement that was satisfactory to both of you. Perhaps you even reached agreements for child support and custody without the help of a court, and you made it work the best way you could.

Unfortunately, things never stay the same. Kids grow, and their needs evolve. Finances fluctuate, and relationships blossom and fade. The decisions you made with you ex-spouse a few years ago may not even be relevant now. Of course, this is all natural, but that doesn’t change the fact that a court-ordered divorce agreement exists between you.

What factors may affect my divorce agreement?

After you and your spouse divorced, you did not stop living. In fact, in some respects, your life may have become even fuller. On the other hand, you may also have met with your share of struggles, particularly financially, and this is not uncommon after a divorce. Like many, you may be experiencing any number of changes that are stifled by your court-ordered divorce ruling, for example:

• You or your ex-spouse intend to remarry, which may affect alimony.
• One of you has already remarried and has children with the new spouse, which may affect custody arrangements.
• You or your ex have lost your job and cannot afford support payments.
• You may wish to relocate for a better job or because of your new spouse’s job.
• Your children are now involved in extra-curricular activities, which affects parenting schedules.

If you are facing radical changes in your life that may impact your divorce agreement, you may require a modification of your existing order, especially if these life changes involve your ability to meet your support or custody obligations or will result in you relocating a significant distance from your co-parent. You may not find these modifications as easy to settle as your original divorce agreement, and delaying the steps to seeking modification may result in unplanned-for consequences.

For example, if you delay resolving custody issues before you relocate, you may temporarily lose custody of your children. If a job loss has made it impossible for you to meet your support obligations, you may face legal penalties for nonpayment. To avoid these situations, you have the option of seeking assistance from a Kansas family law attorney who can guide you in the steps required to file for modification.