New Jersey Modification and Termination Lawyers

Skilled Family Law Attorneys Help Clients Seek Modifications and Terminations of Support Orders in New Jersey

Although you may have an alimony or child support order entered following your separation or divorce from your partner or spouse, over time the circumstances under which that order was entered may drastically change. You or your former spouse or partner may experience job or income loss, a substantial increase in your income, a substantial increase in personal expenses, disability or medical issues, or a substantial increase in your child’s expenses and needs. When these events happen, it may become necessary to seek modification or termination of your family’s support order.

Getting the court to modify or terminate an existing order will require proving changed circumstances, as that term is defined by law. You can greatly improve your chances of securing a modification or termination of an existing support order (or defending against a modification or termination that you oppose) when you have experienced legal representation in your corner. Contact Team Law today to set up a confidential case evaluation to discuss your rights and options for pursuing or stopping a modification or termination of an alimony or child support order and to learn more about how our firm can help you protect your or your children’s interests.

Factors That Courts Consider in Reviewing Support Modification and Termination Requests in New Jersey

When one party files a request to modify or terminate alimony or child support, the court will consider whether changed circumstances exist to warrant modification of a support order. Under New Jersey law, “changed circumstances” means changes that are:

• Permanent
• Have a substantial or major impact on your life or your child’s life
• Unanticipated, meaning they were not foreseeable when the original order was implemented, and that they have not been created due to your willful acts or omissions (for example, loss of a job won’t be considered a changed circumstances if you voluntarily resigned)

If the court agrees that changed circumstances exist to warrant modifying or terminating a support order, then the court will evaluate the terms of a new order according to the factors and standards for an initial alimony or child support order. After calculating a support amount based on the state Child Support Guidelines, the court may chose to look to other factors for a child support order, including:

• The child’s needs, including the need and capacity for education (particularly higher education)
• The economic circumstances of the parents, including expenses, debts/liability, assets, and sources of income and earning capacity
• The age and health of the child and of the parents
• The parents’ other child support orders

Factors that courts consider in establishing alimony orders include:

• The actual needs of the recipient party
• The ability of the obligor party to pay alimony
• The age, physical, and mental health of the parties
• The duration of the marriage
• The standard of living during the marriage
• The earning capacities of the parties
• The parental responsibilities of the parties
• The history of contributions to the marriage, including contributions to the education of one party, care of the parties’ children, and interruption of education and personal careers
• The equitable distribution of the parties’ property
• The assets of the parties
• The tax consequences of an alimony award

Team Law Will Fight for Your Rights and Interests in Modification and Termination Petitions in New Jersey

Whether you are seeking a modification of your alimony or your children’s child support to reflect new expenses or your ex’s substantial increase in income, or if you are looking to modify or terminate your support obligations due to loss of employment, your former spouse’s or partner’s remarriage, or your children’s emancipation, Team Law can help you assert your and your family’s rights and interests. Our attorneys can thoroughly investigate your situation to recover the evidence needed to establish changed circumstances and to establish how the support obligation should be modified or even whether the obligation should be terminated altogether. We understand the importance that alimony and child support obligations can play in ensuring fairness and equality when a family splits up, which is why our attorneys will work tirelessly to help you secure a modification or termination where necessary to ensure support obligations are fair for your family.

Schedule a Confidential Case Review with an Experienced Family Law Attorney from Team Law

If you are seeking a modification or termination of child support or alimony obligations or benefits, or facing a petition to modify or terminate benefits you or your child may be entitled to, let a skilled family law attorney fight to protect your or your family’s rights and interests. Contact Team Law today to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights and options and to learn more about how our firm will fight to get you and your family the results you need and deserve in your modification/termination matter.

Frequently Asked Questions about Modifications and Terminations in New Jersey