Do you need to modify your divorce decree?

The idea of getting a divorce is something that many people in Utah and across the country consider to be complicated. You may have known that ending your marriage was the best step to take due to the relationship issues and other unresolved matters that dragged your marriage down. You may have dreaded having to go through the legal process involved, but you gritted your teeth and did what was necessary.

When your divorce came to an end, you may have felt a sense of relief. Having those legal proceedings completed may have lifted a burden from your shoulders. However, as time has gone on, you may have realized that the terms of your divorce decree are not holding up as well as you thought.

What can you do?

Many people think that the final divorce decree is something they have to live with. Fortunately, that is not necessarily the case. If you have come to find that the details of the decree do not suit your living circumstances, you may want to consider a modification. Of course, it is important to remember that obtaining a modification is not easy and that the court will not approve a change simply because you request it.

What can you change?

You may also want to think about the specific matters that you want to readdress and potentially modify. Just because you felt you got the short end of the stick overall in your divorce does not mean that you can request an entirely new decree with changes to every area of the order (unless you move forward with an appeal, which is a different matter). You can request changes to a specific area, such as alimony, child support, child custody or property division.

How can you increase your chances of approval?

As mentioned, the court will not approve your request without a valid reason. As a result, if you want to make a change to the divorce decree, you will need to show that a change in your circumstances or your ex-spouse’s circumstances warrants the change. For example, if you lose your job, you may need an increase in child support to continue providing for your children. If your spouse benefits from an increase in income, you may have reason to request additional support as well.

Needing to modify a divorce decree can happen for many reasons. If you believe that it would benefit you or your children to have certain details of the decree changed, you may want to discuss this possibility with an attorney. Your legal counsel can help you assess your circumstances to determine whether a change may be necessary.