Obtaining and negotiating spousal support and parenting time orders can be an incredibly emotional process. Restructuring your family is never easy, and the laws can seem confusing. Unfortunately, these types of orders change with relative frequency, depending on many factors. Making sure your agreements are legally solid, as well as financially and emotionally logical for your changing family unit, can reopen emotional wounds.

However, with the right attorneys at your side, the process can be much easier. Johnson Law Group is a law firm that specializes in family law and is experienced at navigating these difficult waters. A smooth and fair transition is one of our primary goals for clients.

When negotiating divorce settlements, spousal support is often calculated for the lower-earning party to ease the transition from a dual-income household to a single-income household. These agreements can be intended for the long-term, but there are several situations in which it makes legal and logical sense to modify your spousal support to fit a changing lifestyle. These changes include:

• Death of one of the parties involved in the transaction.
• The person receiving spousal support moves in with a significant other.
• The person receiving spousal support has a higher rate of income than when the agreement was made.
• The person receiving spousal support gets married or enters into a civil union

Any of these changes can be grounds for a change in or termination of spousal support before the date determined in the agreement. The terms of these changes depend on a variety of factors, and making any changes is still a legal issue. As such, they should be handled by the proper legal professionals. Without legal representation, you risk further damages and fines for violating the contract without the proper changes to the document. At Johnson Law Group, we specialize in modifying spousal support agreements in the state of Colorado, so you can be sure that any changes you make are legally sound and in your best interest.

Changes to parenting time or custody agreements are a bit less straightforward than modifications to spousal support agreements. Though the court always acts in the best interest of the children in question, it is believed that disruption to children’s routine causes significant stress and is detrimental to their wellbeing. For this reason, parenting time agreements can only be modified once every two years and only if the change will benefit the child, except in cases in which the immediate danger of the child is compromised. Key reasons to change parenting schedules include:

• A parent or guardian has relocated.
• The child is in physical or emotional danger.
• There has been a violation of the current parenting time agreement.
• A child in question is 14 or older and requests a change in their parenting schedule

To change these agreements, significant evidence must be given to support the fact that a schedule change would be in the best interest of the child or children. If you believe you have significant evidence to support such a claim, it must be approved by the court to gain legal traction. Because the wellbeing of children is such a priority, it is essential that you have a supportive and knowledgeable team of attorneys at your side to navigate this process. Because Johnson Law Group is a family law firm, you can be assured that no one will know more about parenting time agreements and modifications.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be a viable reason to call for parenting time modifications that did not exist prior to quarantine and the virus’s spread. A few potential examples include:

• You believe your child is disproportionately exposed to COVID-19 due to a guardian’s job or reckless behavior.
• One or both of the parents have lost a job or had a change in working hours.
• One parent has used pandemic circumstances as an excuse to violate the current parenting time agreement.

If, for any reason, you are considering changes to your custody schedule, pay attention to the intricacies of Colorado child modification laws. They are often in flux, but we are happy to help you navigate the situation in this ever-changing landscape.

Though there are alternative routes to make modifications to your spousal support or parenting time agreements, keep in mind that these routes may end up being more emotionally and financially costly in the long haul. Even if all parties involved seem to agree, any agreements made outside of a court of law cannot be legally enforced. If one party decides that the new agreement isn’t working anymore, they have no legal responsibility to follow it. To avoid messy future legal battles, it’s always best to go through the court system with an experienced Colorado family lawyer by your side.

If you are considering making changes to your spousal support or child custody agreement, contact Johnson Law Group. We pride ourselves on our wide breadth of family law knowledge and our ability to navigate these sensitive changes with care.