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Post-judgment, modification & enforcement
A judgment is not the end. Custody schedules stop fitting as children grow, incomes change, and some people simply don't do what the order says. I handle modifications, enforcement, and the problems that surface years later, including judgments from other states that need to be enforced in California.
Custody and support orders can be modified on a showing of changed circumstances. The request has to be framed correctly: a parent asking to change a final custody order faces a higher bar than one asking to adjust a temporary schedule, and a support modification runs only from the date the request is filed, so delay costs money every month.
Unpaid support accrues interest at ten percent and can be collected through wage assignments, liens, license suspensions and contempt. Property orders can be enforced by motion, and where a spouse refuses to sign a deed or a retirement order, the court can sign on their behalf. A spouse who was awarded a pension in the judgment but never received a domestic relations order can still get one.
A judgment obtained through fraud, perjury, duress, mistake or a failure to disclose can be set aside, but the deadlines are short and strictly enforced. If you believe your spouse hid assets or misrepresented something material when you signed, call promptly.
Support orders from other states are registered and enforced in California under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. Custody orders are governed by the UCCJEA. Property judgments involving California assets raise their own questions about which court should act. I sort out which forum is right before anything is filed.
Most people call after something has already gone wrong. The better time is before. Tell me where things stand and I'll tell you what I would do first.
Request a consultationor call 213.477.3732