3 Ways To Modify Your Child Custody Agreement

Are you not happy with your current custody arrangement and want to modify the agreement? If so, it helps to know some valid ways that it can be done.

Change Child Support Payments

It is possible to increase child support payments in certain situations. Each state has its own rules for how many years must pass for child support payments to be reviewed, and there may not need to be a reason behind requesting the review. Even if everyone's jobs have remained the same, you could still have child support reviewed.

You can also request a child support modification when there has been a major change in someone's income. This includes someone earning more or less money as a result of a change in their job. Child support can be reevaluated to adjust to the new income levels. 

Change Visitation Schedule

You may be looking to change the current visitation schedule with how often you see your child. You may have discovered that the original visitation schedule no longer works like it once did. For example, a child may be involved in new after-school activities, which is now taking away from one parent's visitation time. A parent may have started a new job with different hours, and now a different schedule is necessary to make it work. Having a valid reason to have more quality time with your child can justify a modification to the custody schedule. 

However, you may be in the opposite situation where you want the other parent to have less visitation time with your child. This can be a valid situation if you feel like the parent is putting the child in danger or is a bad influence, and you want to do what is in the best interest of the child. 

Change Primary Custody

You can also make a request to change who has primary custody of a child. This can be a very contentious, time-consuming, and costly process to modify the original court order, so it is important that you go into it prepared by working with a lawyer. Much like changing a visitation schedule, you need to prove to a judge that changing primary custody will be in the best interest of the child. 

A common reason that parents request that primary custody be changed is when the custodial parent decides to move far away. Not only do you not want to be separated from your child even more, but you want to avoid disrupting your child's life in such a big way. You may have a solid case on your hands if you'll be living in the same area so the child can go to the same school and be with the same friends. 

For more information on child custody law, contact a professional near you.