Many Connecticut parents think that the end of their marriage affects them the most. However, in most cases, it is the children and their issues in the divorce that end up taking center stage. Once dividing the marital assets and alimony are addressed, parents must turn their attentions to custody and child support. These issues often require parental attention well after the divorce is final.
That is because as children grow and financial circumstances change, the issues of child custody and child support may require modifications. The orders entered at the time of the divorce represent a moment in time. This may work for dividing your property and establishing some support, if necessary, but when it comes to the ongoing needs of the children, a momentary snapshot is often not enough to cover the future.
You and your spouse may take a considerable amount of time preparing a parenting plan, deciding other custody issues and coming to an agreement about support. These arrangements could work for one year or five years, but at some point, life may change so drastically that changes are needed. Your spouse may not be able to make the established child support payments due to a job loss, accident or illness. Your child could suffer an illness or accident that requires more care.
When the events of life require you to consider making changes to the custody and/or child support orders entered at the time of your divorce, be sure to obtain the court’s approval for any changes. Otherwise, the new agreements and arrangements you and your former spouse make may not be enforceable should something go wrong. Even if you and other parent have a good post-divorce relationship, these formalities need to be followed to protect everyone involved — especially the children. A Connecticut family law attorney can help gather the evidence required for a modification and help with enforcing a child support order, if needed.