Child Support: How Do I Change the Child Custody Support Amount?

It is possible for a child support order to be modified at a future point in time. The courts are sympathetic to the fact that circumstances change. Depending on those circumstances, the order can be increased or decreased (Family Code 3653). If a parent ordered to pay support should lose their job, it might be possible to get the order reduced. Of if that parent were to get a higher paying job, the other parent could ask the courts to increase their child support payments.

Also, if the child support agreement was below the guideline amount, a parent can ask the courts to change the support amount at any time, without there being any change of circumstances for either parent.

Changes in circumstances aren’t limited to just career changes. Other changes in circumstances include if the spouse who does not owe child support gets married and/or receives another avenue of income. There are a variety of circumstances that may be relevant in affecting the amount of child support, and the courts will examine them carefully before deciding whether to increase or decrease payments, or even eliminate them completely.

As your child support attorney can explain to you, just because you ask the court to modify your child support order does not mean that you will be happy with the result. You may go to court seeking an increase in child support payments and the court might review all new information and instead choose to decrease the order. That is why it is so important to consult with a Southern California family law attorney before making a modification request with the courts.