We are often asked “can maintenance be modified after divorce orders are issued in Louisville?’ The answer is “yes” as long as there is a valid reason for the Court to consider your case and issue the orders.
What the Court is looking for from a legal perspective is called a substantial change in the “Status Quo.” In other words, “What has significantly changed which warrants a change in maintenance?” In most recent divorce decrees the Judge in your case attempted to make note of the “Status Quo” at the time of your divorce. How much were each of you earning, what was the opportunity for each of you to gain meaningful employment and what role did each of you play during the course of the marriage?
One example of a change in the status quo could be the remarriage of the party receiving maintenance. In many cases parties will simply live with one another in order to preserve incoming maintenance.
The experienced post-decree modification attorneys at Dodd & Dodd have decades of experience in these cases. We may be able to demonstrate that while the parties have not legally married, their present living conditions have had a significant and positive economic impact on the party receiving maintenance which deserves the Court’s review and ultimately orders to reduce the maintenance itself.
Changes in the status quo include substantial gaining meaningful new employment, increases or decreases in income for either of the parties, a substantial financial windfall such as commissions or a lottery win, or the loss of a job.
The apparently simple question “Can maintenance be modified post-decree” is actually legally quite complex. If you would like to seek modification of maintenance orders we invite you to contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced post decree modification lawyers.
