Katy, Texas Post-Divorce Changes Lawyer

Attorney for Support and Custody Enforcement in Fort Bend County

Receiving your final divorce decree can bring a much-needed sense of relief and closure. However, if your divorce includes orders for child support, child custody and visitation, or spousal support, you will likely have to deal with renegotiation or enforcement of these orders at some point in the future.

At The Foray Firm, we understand your hope and desire for long periods of stability and peace after your divorce. Still, your post-divorce life may bring many positive changes such as a new job, remarriage, more children, or an opportunity to move to a new city. Your ex's life will also change, which could reduce their ability to pay support or spend time with your children.

When change happens, the skilled team at The Foray Firm Houston will help you manage those changes through modification and/or enforcement of your support and custody agreements. We will carefully analyze your existing agreements and the latest financial documentation provided by you and your ex, then recommend an effective solution that meets your needs.

Changing the Amount of Child Support Payments in Texas

The attorneys of The Foray Firm Houston are committed to helping our clients adjust their financial support arrangements when the need arises.

Under Texas law, you can request a change in child support payments when:

• There has been a material and substantial change in circumstances.
• The children are now living with a different parent.
• The noncustodial parent's income has increased or decreased.
• The noncustodial parent has become legally responsible for additional children.
• The children's medical insurance coverage has changed.

For example, if the custodial parent learns that the noncustodial parent has gotten a substantial pay raise, child support could be increased.

Enforcing Child Support in Fort Bend County

All Texas child support payments go through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) within the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), usually through wage withholding. Thus, the state knows immediately if child support payments are not made.

If the noncustodial parent, the obligor, experiences a job loss, pay cut, retirement, disability, or bankruptcy, they must continue making as much of their child support payments as possible until a modification to the court order is processed. The obligor should also contact the Texas Office of the Attorney General to explain their situation.

The OAG has numerous means of enforcing child support, including but not limited to:

• If a payment is more than 30 days late, 6% annual interest is charged on the balance owed.
• If more than three months' child support is owed, the state can suspend the obligor's driver's license, professional license, and hunting/fishing licenses.
• If child support has not been paid for more than six months, the obligor may be denied renewal of their vehicle registration.
• If the obligor fails to pay child support and is not working with OAG to correct the issue, the OAG can file a lien on any property owned by the obligor, including real estate, bank accounts, and retirement accounts. The obligor can also be taken to court, assessed fines, even sentenced to jail.

Changing Child Custody and Visitation in Houston

The Foray Firm Houston can help you request a change to your child custody and visitation order, as allowed by state law, when:

• The child or either parent has had a material change in circumstances, such as when a noncustodial parent has to relocate for their job or any party suffers a long-term illness or disability.
• A child at least 12 years old asks the court for a change in custody.
• The custodial parent has voluntarily transferred custody of the child to another person for a period lasting six months or more, excluding cases where the transfer was related to the custodial parent's military service.

Enforcing Child Custody and Visitation Plans in Fort Bend County

The Foray Firm Houston can advise you regarding your options for enforcement of your child custody and visitation order. You should start by documenting the place, date, and time of each violation, for example, when a co-parent refuses to relinquish possession of the children when and where scheduled or otherwise interferes with a visitation order. You can then file a motion for enforcement with the family court, and the court may charge the offending parent with an offense known as interference with child custody.

Changing or Enforcing Spousal Maintenance in Harris County

The Foray Firm Houston can assist you in obtaining a modification of your spousal support court order when either the payor or recipient experiences a material and substantial change in circumstances. For example:

• If the obligor becomes disabled or their income declines due to retirement or any other reason, they can request a reduction or termination of spousal support.
• If the recipient learns that the paying spouse's income has risen substantially, they can request an increase in spousal support.
• If the recipient begins living with a romantic partner, maintenance can be terminated by court order.
• If the recipient remarries or dies, spousal maintenance can stop automatically; no court order is needed.

Houston Lawyers for Post-Divorce Changes and Enforcement

The attorneys of The Foray Firm are dedicated to providing reliable legal representation to families of all races, ethnicities, and genders. Contact us in our Houston, TX office at 832-919-6400. We serve clients throughout Houston, Harris County, Waller County, and Fort Bend County, including the communities of Fulshear, Katy, Richmond, and Sugar Land.