Post Judgment Attorney in Los Angeles, California
When can custody and visitation agreements be modified?
When can custody and visitation agreements be modified?
More In This Category
View Transcript
normally
a custody
or parenting plan
order
or a financial order for support would
become modifiable when there’s what is
called a material
or significant change of circumstances
as that is defined in the law
so
a fairly significant change of
circumstances and on the custody side
it might be the availability of the
parent it might be the age or maturity
level of the child it might be the
child’s
preferences
as they’re getting older
their schedule it might be unfortunately
because of something you know that’s
unfortunately going on in the other
parent’s life maybe with a mental health
issue
or uh an addiction uh something of that
nature depression
any of those things could give rise
and on the financial side it would
normally be
a material change in either either the
supporting party
is making
less in income
the supported party is making more
or
you might or there’s otherwise a
significant change in their overall
financial circumstances and on the child
support side maybe also a change in the
physical timeshare arrangement because
that does impact on issues of child
support
Los Angeles, CA family law attorney Craig S. Pedersen explains when and why custody and visitation agreements can be modified post judgment. He explains that normally, a custody or parenting plan order, or a financial support order, becomes modifiable only when there is what the law defines as a material or significant change in circumstances. On the custody side, this could involve a parent’s availability, the child’s age or maturity, the child’s preferences as they grow older, or changes in the other parent’s life—such as mental health issues, addiction, or depression—that affect their ability to parent.
On the financial side, a material change might occur if the supporting parent earns significantly less, the supported parent earns significantly more, or there is otherwise a notable shift in either party’s overall financial situation. In terms of child support, changes in the physical timeshare arrangement can also influence modifications.
