Calabasas Divorce Modification Attorney
Income can change long after judgment, but a support order does not recalculate itself. We help Calabasas clients evaluate current financial evidence, the order's wording, and the correct path for requesting or opposing a change.
Testimonials
Why Clients Trust Our Family Law Firm
Shireen, Stephanie, and the rest of the team are incredibly thorough, efficient, and knowledgeable. I didn't have a question they couldn't answer, and those answers were prompt and detailed whenever I asked them. They always kept my best interests at the forefront and did everything they could to make a difficult time as seamless as possible. I can't recommend their services enough.
I cannot say enough good things about Mahdavi & Mahdavi Family Law! This legal team is amazing and helped me through my divorce with ease. Being able to work so closely with both Stephanie and Lisa made a world of difference during this difficult process. I am so grateful and will recommend Stephanie and her team to anyone who needs their services.
Shireen, Stephanie, Jami and Carlos, and the entire team at Mahdavi & Mahdavi Family Law provided outstanding support, equipping me with the knowledge and options needed to navigate my case effectively. Their dedication, clear guidance, and diligent advocacy made all the difference. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking knowledgeable and compassionate legal representation. Thanks team!
Rebuild the Financial Picture With Current Numbers
A support-focused divorce modification starts with a comparison, not a conclusion. The original income findings, marital settlement terms, and support calculation need to be read alongside current earnings, parenting time, expenses, and any later orders. That comparison shows which facts actually changed.
For Calabasas households, income may include salary, bonuses, commissions, equity compensation, business distributions, rental income, or investment returns. A recent pay statement alone may not describe a variable compensation structure accurately. We identify the appropriate period and source documents instead of selecting only the month that appears most favorable.
We also distinguish a temporary fluctuation from a sustained change and test assumptions about taxes, deductions, childcare, healthcare, and parenting time before presenting a proposed number. The goal is a financial record the court and both parties can follow.
Child Support and Spousal Support Require Separate Analysis
Child and spousal support can appear on the same judgment, but they are not interchangeable obligations. Each has its own calculation, governing terms, duration questions, and possible effective date. A change affecting one amount may influence the overall cash flow without automatically changing the other order.
For child support, California's guideline uses both parents' financial information, parenting time, tax circumstances, and permitted adjustments. The California Courts change-order instructions explain that the current order remains in effect until a judge signs a new one and that filing promptly matters to possible retroactivity.
For spousal support, the judgment and settlement language come first. The California Courts guide to changing long-term support notes that an agreement may make support nonmodifiable. Review dates, step-downs, termination events, retained jurisdiction, and findings about earning capacity can shape what the court may consider.
Financial disclosure should be consistent across the request, Income and Expense Declaration, attached records, and any expert analysis. Unexplained discrepancies can distract from the real issue. We organize recurring and one-time income, business expenses, benefits, and claimed deductions so the assumptions are explicit.
If income information is incomplete or disputed, targeted discovery may be needed before a reliable proposal can be made. A rushed estimate can be less useful than a documented range that identifies which missing facts would change the result.
Respond to the Claimed Change, Not Just the Proposed Number
A person served with a support request should separate three questions: whether the order permits the requested change, whether the asserted facts are accurate, and whether the proposed amount uses complete inputs. Agreeing that income changed does not require agreeing with every calculation.
Compare the moving papers with tax returns, pay records, business documents, and the order cited in the request. Identify assumptions that are unsupported, stale, or inconsistent, while disclosing your own information completely and on time.
Calabasas matters generally proceed in Los Angeles County. Confirm the case number and assigned court shown on the filed papers. Financial disputes may be narrowed through document exchange or settlement, but a contested matter can require testimony and careful explanation of how the proposed inputs were derived.
Continue following the existing order unless the court changes it. Keep payment records and distinguish current payments from any disputed arrears so the modification hearing does not become confused with a separate enforcement issue.
We help clients present a transparent divorce modification comparison and requested order language that can be evaluated rather than a broad claim that the old amount is simply unfair.
Prepare a Support Review Before Filing in Calabasas
Bring the current order, settlement, recent tax returns, year-to-date pay records, and documents for bonuses, business income, benefits, childcare, healthcare, and parenting time that may affect the calculation.
We can identify which figures need verification, whether the judgment limits a spousal-support change, and what information should be exchanged before a proposal is treated as reliable.
Mahdavi & Mahdavi Family Law represents people seeking and opposing support changes with a focus on the order, complete evidence, and a calculation that states its assumptions.
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