Post Judgment Modifications

Most often in Los Angeles, paternity is called into question for financial or custodial reasons. If you are not the biological father of a child, you may not be entitled to continue paying child support, and your custody and visitation arrangements may need to be amended. In order to determine paternity, the courts will sometimes order a paternity test to legally establish a biological relationship, or in some cases to reveal the lack thereof. Once the test results are identified, your lawyer will take whatever actions are necessary next to resolve the situation.

Understanding Modifications

Post judgment actions become necessary when a person's circumstances change so much that it makes it difficult to adhere to the terms of an original agreement or settlement. Many people are under the impression that when a divorce is "finalized," there is no way to go back and change the agreements that were made. Luckily, people with extenuating circumstances may be able to make post judgment actions to adjust the terms of an agreement or divorce to suit their current situation.

Sometimes loss of employment or a serious illness can prevent a person from working and making money, which can make it difficult or even impossible to keep paying the current amount of child support which was arranged when you were bringing in considerable amounts of income. In situations like these, your attorney will help prove the necessity of the modification so that your agreement can be changed to accommodate your current situation.

Modifications can be made to a number of different orders and agreements, including those that involve visitation, spousal support, or marital settlement agreements. There are many different situations that may warrant a modification of a previous judgment, including:

• A significant increase or decrease in either party's income
• A job loss, job change or other event
• A parent's desire or need to relocate
• A major change in the costs of caring for children, prompted by a medical problem or other event

Los Angeles Lawyer Handling Post Judgment Modifications

Another reason why a post judgment action may become necessary is if one party to the divorce does not adhere to the original agreement. In cases involving property division, one or sometimes both parties will neglect to follow the plan, which could mean that one person sells or gives away an item without dividing the proceeds equally with the other person. In these situations, a Los Angeles family law attorney will take the necessary legal actions to remedy the situation through a post judgment action.

If your circumstances have changed significantly, you should speak with a family law attorney about the possibility of a post judgment modification. Not every situation is significant enough to qualify for a modification, but with a lawyer carefully examining the situation you may be able to take action to have the terms of your divorce or parenting agreement charged to better suit your current needs.

To learn more about post judgment modifications, contact a Los Angeles family lawyer at Claery & Green!