Common Family Law Questions

• Can I just make my own agreement with my former spouse when we want to change an obligation in our original divorce decree?
• Should I pay child support in cash, check, or money order - or does it matter?
• I lost my job and I can't find a job in the same pay range. Should I file a modification to change child support?
• I need a divorce. Can I get an attorney to just review documents that I draft myself?

Can I just make my own agreement with my former spouse when we want to change an obligation in our original divorce decree?
No!! Do not ever do this. You and your former spouse divorced for a reason. At some point you did not get along at all. Just because you're getting along now, is not reason enough to make verbal agreements for changes to your divorce settlement agreements. If you do this, you are setting yourself up for the day when your spouse files a contempt action against you for not following the agreement and your only argument is "Well, but she said it was ok." This is not a strong position.
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Should I pay child support in cash, check, or money order - or does it matter?
Yes! It matters. The rule is: document, document, document. Keep records of every payment. A good rule of thumb is to never pay in cash. Then make copies of checks and money orders that were paid to your spouse. It's also a good idea to keep an updated excel spreadsheet recording your payments.
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I lost my job and I can't find a job in the same pay range. Should I file a modification to change child support?
You should definitely talk to an experienced attorney especially if you foresee having problems paying child support.
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I need a divorce. Can I get an attorney to just review documents that I draft myself?
You may be able to. It is likely that a divorce will be more expensive if you ask an attorney to teach you to do it yourself because the attorney must give you a law school education and teach you how the legal process works. We find that the client is better served if we handle the case from the beginning. In many counties the process can be fairly simple if the couple wishes to file for an uncontested divorce.
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