If you live in Massachusetts and are currently paying or receiving child support, a situation may arise when you want to try to modify the amount payed or received. At Kajko, Weisman & Colasanti, LLP, we have a firm understanding of the various circumstances that might warrant a change to an existing child support order, and we have helped many clients navigate the process associated with doing so.

First, it is important to understand the reasons a court might recognize for issuing a change to your child support order. Per Mass.gov, you may be able to pursue a child support modification if a substantial change in circumstances has occurred. This might refer to a job loss, a demotion that leads to a lower salary, the child moving from the home or one parent to the other and so on.

You may be able to seek a modification, too, if changes have arisen that relate to health insurance. For example, if one parent now has access to affordable health care insurance and they did not when the child support order was enacted, this may warrant a change in the amount of support given or received. If the parent providing child support suddenly must pay considerably more for the same insurance, this, may, too, warrant a modification. Finally, if the amount one parent is paying to the other differs from what the state’s child support guidelines dictate the amount should be, this, also, may enable you to legally change your order.

Now that you know the reasons that may warrant a change to a child support order, the next step involves pursuing the modification. If a judgment determined the amount you pay or receive (a divorce judgment, for example), you must file a complaint for modification with the court. You may seek to change the child support order on your own, or you and your child’s other parent may pursue it together if you agree about the proposed changes. More about child support is available on our web page.