Florida Divorce Modification Lawyers
What Can and Can’t Be Changed
| Order | Modifiable? | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Parenting plan / time-sharing | Yes | Substantial and material change, and the new plan is best for the child. See § 61.13(3). |
| Child support | Yes | Change moving the guideline number at least 15% or $50, whichever is greater. See § 61.30. |
| Alimony (durational, rehabilitative) | Yes | Substantial change in circumstances, retirement, or the recipient’s supportive relationship. See § 61.14. |
| Bridge-the-gap alimony | No | Not modifiable by law. |
| Property division | No | Final once entered. If it was tainted by fraud or a bad agreement, a different remedy may exist — see fixing a bad divorce agreement. |
What Counts as a “Substantial and Material” Change
Courts don’t reopen final judgments over inconvenience, so the change generally must be significant, lasting, and something the last order didn’t already anticipate.
Timing matters more than almost anything: support modifications generally reach back only to the date you file. If your income dropped, every month you wait becomes debt the court usually can’t erase.
Changes we regularly build winning cases on:
- Income shifts — a layoff, a disability, a big raise on either side
- Relocation — a move that breaks the schedule (a move of 50 miles or more has its own legal process)
- The child’s changing needs — school, health, activities that outgrew the old plan
- A parent’s conduct — substance abuse, instability, or a documented pattern of violating the parenting plan
- Retirement — a payor reaching normal retirement age can seek to reduce or end alimony, filing up to six months ahead
- A supportive relationship — a recipient sharing a home and finances with a new partner
How a Modification Case Works
A modification is a new case built on the old one: a supplemental petition, current financial disclosure from both sides, negotiation or mediation, and a hearing if needed. Two rules save people from expensive mistakes:
Agreements still need the court. If you and your ex agree on the change, wonderful — we put it in a consent order and have it entered quickly and cheaply. Until then, the old order controls, and the friendly arrangement evaporates the day the relationship sours.
Keep following the current order while you litigate. Stopping payments or changing the schedule unilaterally hands the other side a contempt case. See enforcement and contempt.