Modification & Enforcement

Texas Child Support Modification and Enforcement

Once the child support and child custody agreements are in place and the divorce has been finalized, this usually does not mean that the legal negotiations are over. It is unlikely that there will be no changes to the plans you have established between the ink drying on that paper and your child's eighteenth birthday. Circumstances change and Texas Family Code makes allowances for adjustments to support and custody arrangements when needed. If you are seeking a change in the agreement you reached with your former spouse, the family law attorneys at Bertolino LLP can help you reach a resolution that is fair and in the best interest of the children.

Does your former spouse believe that your promotion at work warrants a higher monthly payment in child support? Have you been laid off for an extended period of time and, as much as you want to provide your children with as much as possible, you realize that making payments under the current agreement is no longer possible? Child support payments can be raised or lowered if the income of the paying payment changes by at least twenty percent and three or more years have passed since the original child support agreement was put in place. Our family law attorneys can prepare your income records and other evidence concerning your cost of living to assert your need for a change. And, if there is a situation of emergency hardship, we can petition the court for a modification without the prerequisites mentioned above.

Not only child support payments, but also visitation arrangements can be altered as your lives change. There may be a new career that makes the current schedule for visiting the kids untenable. Maybe one parent is considering a move to another county or state, creating a distance that requires a compete reworking of how the non-custodial parent will still have the opportunity for a quality relationship with the kids. Unfortunately, there are also instances in which a parent develops a dependence on alcohol or drugs, becomes abusive, or in some other way creates a home environment that is not safe for children. Whatever the reason may be, we will represent you in adjusting the custody plan in a way that, most importantly, protects the children and allows for bonding time with both parents to the extent that is possible.

Maybe you do not need your custody or support agreement adjusted, but simply want some help in getting the current plan enforced. If you are having difficulty collecting the child support or alimony to which you are entitled, or the non-custodial parent is not complying with the visitation schedule, a family law lawyer at Bertolino LLP can reach out to the courts to take steps for enforcement. Your family deserves to have the agreement followed, and we will make sure that happens.

If you are seeking any changes to the child custody or child support agreement that you currently have in place, or if you need assistance in enforcing a current order, the family law attorneys at Bertolino LLP will work aggressively on your behalf to reach a resolution and help your family move forward.