If you are a divorced parent, you know that life changes quickly. Your original child support agreement may have worked well in the beginning. However, your child’s needs, and your own ability to meet them, are likely to change as they grow and you continue to navigate life’s daily challenges.

Whether you find yourself unable to make monthly payments or the payments you receive are no longer enough, you may be able to modify your support order by petitioning the court.

If you are behind on child support or spousal support, you might have received warnings that garnishment action could follow. Maybe you even wondered if you could volunteer for wage garnishments to reduce the likelihood of falling behind on payments. Whatever the reason, garnishments may lead to big deductions from your income.

When you and your ex come to an agreement, the amount might add up to a much smaller figure than when courts intervene without your cooperation. However, this depends on whether the court believes your proposal seems fair.