After a divorce and the resulting child custody agreement, it can become necessary to modify your child custody and visitation agreement. Circumstances can change for a family, finances can shift, your children’s needs change as they grow, and families need to readjust. For these reasons, with the help of a team of experienced Chester child custody and visitation lawyers, it is possible to petition the courts for a modification of your child custody agreement.
At The Law Office of Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our family law attorneys have extensive experience helping clients across Morristown, Chatham, Madison, and Morris and Bergen Counties to successfully petition the courts to change existing child custody agreements. We work hard for every client and believe that by providing honest, accurate, and regular information regarding your case, we can provide you with the legal guidance and service that you need for any family law issue, including child custody modifications.
Child Custody in New Jersey Courts
The most important thing to remember when it comes to any issue regarding your child and New Jersey courts is that the law will always put the needs and best interests of the child first. In order for your child custody and visitation modification order to be successful, it needs to account for this requirement, and show that the requested modification is in your child’s best interest.
There are two different ways of modifying a child custody agreement in New Jersey. You can either:
- Create a Consented Order – You and your ex both sign a document acknowledging your desire to modify your existing child support and visitation agreement, and consent to making this new agreement legal and enforceable.
- Filing a Modification Order with the Courts – If you and your spouse cannot agree on a modification, you can file a motion with the courts to review your case and, if successful, order a modification of your existing child custody agreement. In order to do this, you must be able to prove that circumstances since your divorce have substantially changed, and call for a child custody modification.
No matter which way you decide to pursue your child custody and visitation modification, it is important that you retain the counsel of an experienced Chatham child custody modification attorney to help you draft and file the necessary documents, and if necessary, demonstrate to the courts exactly how your family’s circumstances have changed, and how those changes affect the best interests of your children when it comes to their custody and visitation agreement.
Changed Circumstances Affecting Morris County Child Custody and Visitation Agreements
In order to modify your existing child custody and visitation agreement, you must demonstrate to the courts that circumstances have changed, and changed substantially. Substantial change is an important consideration, as it raises the requirements for child custody changes to a distinct level. A substantial change in circumstance can include but is not limited to:
- Major change in employment terms such as required work hours
- Major change in a parent’s habits or lifestyle that may affect the child such as drug abuse or mental/physical illness
- Major relocation of one parent
All of these changes are substantial and can have a significant impact on the children involved. If you believe your particular circumstances qualify as a substantial change which affects your children, their health, education, or lifestyle, contact your Morris County divorce attorney today to begin discussing your child custody and visitation modification options.
Contact Our Morris County Child Custody and Visitation Modification Lawyers Today
At The Law Office of Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our attorneys have helped clients across Chatham, Mendham, Chester, and the greater Morris and Bergen County area to successfully modify their existing child custody and visitation agreements.
Any time families and children are involved in a legal matter, it is critical to retain legal counsel who is knowledgeable, compassionate, and understands just how important your children and their well-being are to you. By practicing exclusively family and divorce law, our attorney team is uniquely suited to providing exactly this kind of service to you and your family.
If you believe it is in your child’s best interest to modify your existing child support and visitation agreement, our law team is standing by to begin helping you today. For a free and confidential consultation regarding your unique child custody needs, please contact us online, through our Morris County office at 973-840-8970, or our Hackensack office at 201-397-1750.
