Houston Lawyer for Child Support and Custody Changes
Your life has probably changed in many ways since your divorce. If any of the major changes involve your income, your ex-spouse’s income, your location or the well-being of your children, you may need to take legal action to make sure that your child support and child custody orders reflect your new circumstances.
You may also need an attorney’s help with enforcement if your ex-spouse is failing to pay court-ordered child support or spousal support. Beginning with your initial consultation, experienced Texas family law attorney Holli M. Palmer can knowledgeably assess your case for a post-divorce modification or enforcement and help you take the best available action. Contact the Law Office of Holli M. Palmer today to learn more about our family law services regarding change of custody and/or changes in child support amounts.
Income-Driven and Needs-Driven Child Support Modifications
Even if all orders issued when your divorce became final were considered fair at the time, the law sets out procedures allowing you to petition for modifications if circumstances substantially change down the road. Petitioning for a child support modification is a fairly straightforward process, requiring proof of an income change as well as some financial documentation like W-2 forms and bank records, for example. Some common scenarios that might result in a modification of child support include:
- A job loss or job change that substantially reduces the net income of the noncustodial parent, necessitating a reduction in child support
- A change that substantially increases the net income of the parent paying support, causing the custodial parent to seek increased support for the children
- A substantial reduction or increase in the children’s needs, due to a medical condition or other serious circumstances.
Our laws are clear that there is a legal obligation to pay child support, and consequences for non-payers can be extremely serious. At the Law Office of Holli M. Palmer, we can help you take strong enforcement action – even if the attorney general’s office is already involved. We have also successfully helped parents targeted with enforcement actions negotiate for time to pay and other workable outcomes.
Assessing Your Case and Taking Action to Pursue Custody Modifications
Post-divorce modifications of child custody are less common, and the burden of proof is heavy, but we will provide honest, realistic counsel in situations including:
- Serious problems in the custodial parent’s home, such as violence, drug abuse, or a harmful lack of supervision
- A parental relocation that may not be in children’s best interests that would prevent the non-custodial parent from having their scheduled visitation
Our experience in divorce and custody disputes equips us well to provide counsel you can depend on. Holli Palmer’s experience as an attorney ad litem provides extensive insight into the psychological evaluations, social studies and other important factors.
For caring, resourceful counsel and representation in post-divorce modifications, child support enforcement or other family law matters, we encourage you to call us at 281-377-1107, or toll-free at 877-434-9079 or send us an e-mail today.
Enforcement of Court Orders for Child Support, Spousal Support, or Marital Property Division
If you need to enforce a court order for child support, spousal support, or property division, Houston family law attorney Holli Palmer can assist you in those efforts.
There are several avenues for the enforcement of a Texas child support order - whether you choose to hire a private attorney, or if your case is being handled by the Office of the Attorney General, we have the experience to guide you through the process. Non-payment of child support creates financial hardship for the custodial parent, and Texas courts are stringent about enforcement of those orders. If you have custody of a child and you and your spouse have been separated for some length of time without court orders, or if you and the other parent are not married and no longer living together - ask us about retroactive child support.
If you have been served with an action for enforcement of child support, our northwest Houston law office can represent you in defense of that suit. A child support enforcement action should never be ignored as the consequences can be severe. If you cannot pay your court-ordered child support, you should consult with an attorney. Non-payment should not be an option.
If your spouse is not paying court-ordered spousal support, or has not turned over property pursuant to a divorce decree, our office can
Enforcement of Court Orders for Visitation
Just as the family law courts will enforce an order for child support, they will enforce an order for possession and access to your children. The custodial parent does not have the right to withhold your children from you, and a court can hold that parent in contempt and/or order "make-up" time for visitation that has been missed. Many times, the custodial parent will deny visitation because there are child support arrearages - an action that is not allowed. A custodial parent cannot withhold visitation due to non-payment of child support; and in the alternative, child support cannot be withheld because visitation has been denied. Houston attorney Holli Palmer has successfully represented parents who have been denied access to their children in violation of court orders. Call our office today for your initial consultation.
