At Sarah Brooks Law Firm, we urge clients not to hesitate to request a modification of the divorce decree when financial or other conditions change. People’s lives are not set in stone. The legal system allows for modifications to a divorce decree to handle alterations in the lives of divorced couples and their children. Alterations in the lives of a divorced couple can arise because of job changes, location changes, or changes in the needs of the children. For example: i) The parent providing child support receives a raise or a better-paying job ii) A child becomes seriously ill and needs expensive treatment iii) One parent moves from the area, increasing the cost of scheduled visitation iv) A new parental work schedule interferes with the original visitation plan v) A parent becomes unable to properly care for a child because of an ongoing drug or alcohol problem vi) One parent makes allegations of child abuse against the other parent, or the other parent’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or new spouse The result of a modification request can include an increase or decrease in the amount of child support paid, an adjustment to the visitation schedule, a change in the child custody arrangements, or a requirement for supervised visitation.