Even when you receive your final judgment of divorce from the Pennsylvania court, your divorce is not necessarily complete. Meaning, your life does not end after your divorce, and there may be new circumstances that arise that require edits to your settlement agreements. And if you underwent your divorce via the mediation method, you may be wondering whether the same is possible for your post-judgment modifications. Continue reading to learn if a post-judgment mediation is possible and how an experienced York County, PA divorce mediation attorney at Ilkhanoff & Silverstein can walk you through this.
What issues may constitute a post-judgment modification?
Generally speaking, it is possible that a change in circumstances may constitute a modification to your original divorce terms. However, there must be valid reasons for a change, and examples of such read as follows:
- Child custody:
- You or your former spouse lost employment.
- You or your former spouse have a new work schedule.
- You or your former spouse relocated.
- You or your former spouse remarried.
- Child support:
- You or your former spouse experience an increase in income.
- You or your former spouse lost employment.
- Your child requires more money for medical treatments, higher education, etc.
- Your child is now married.
- Your child is now the legal age of emancipation, which is 16 years old or older, and is deemed to be financially independent.
- Spousal support:
- You or your spouse experience a change in employment or income.
- You or your spouse experience a change in health.
- You or your spouse experience a change in living situation or remarried.
Is post-judgment mediation possible in the state of Pennsylvania?
Usually, the post-judgment modification process requires the involvement of the Pennsylvania court. With this, you or your former spouse may file a petition for modification and soon enter a court hearing. During the hearing, you and your former spouse will provide the court with evidence that backs up your request for modifications. If the court deems that there are valid reasons for change, then they will issue you and your former spouse with a new court order to reflect this.
However, before having to enter the courtroom, you can first use post-judgment mediation to deal with your post-judgment issues. With this, a mediator will help you and your spouse address the issues at hand and develop alternatives that work best for everyone involved. Not only can this be done outside of the courtroom, but it can save you time and money, along with protecting you from emotional distress.
Nonetheless, if you are still curious about how to handle your post-judgment modifications, you must consult with a skilled York County, PA divorce attorney today.
