The family court system in New Jersey can be difficult to navigate, and you might not even know where to start with modifying a divorce order. Keep reading to find out what you need to know and do when you find yourself in this situation.
File a motion
Filing a motion with the court that issued the order should be the first step. You can do this yourself or with an attorney. There are many reasons to file a motion to modify an existing divorce order. One of them is when your child needs additional support because of health or educational reasons. When filing a motion, make sure you are very specific about what exactly needs to change and why.
Complete the forms
When you file your motion, the family court will require that you complete and attach certain forms. You will then have to upload them to the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission System for the New Jersey courts. Make sure that you fill out all of the required forms completely and accurately, and mail a copy of each form to your ex-spouse.
The family court will review your motion and issue an order to determine what needs to happen with the original divorce order. If a judge agrees that something does need to change, then you can expect some action on how they are going to fix this for you.
What if you’re the one responding to a motion?
If you are the person served with a motion, you will get notified of this. You should respond by filing an appearance, which you can do online. You will also need to complete the required family court forms with your response. The family court will review both of these documents along with any additional attachments or information that you may have included for consideration before issuing an order modifying the divorce decree.
If you are unsure about how this process works, you may want to consult a family law attorney. The Weir Law Firm, LLC, is a trusted team of professionals, so clients can expect experienced legal representation no matter the complexity of the case.