Modification & Enforcement

To modify a legal decision-making or parenting time order, you generally must show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances since the last order was entered. The bar is intentionally high — courts want stability for children — but genuine changes in circumstances do warrant revisiting existing orders.

Common grounds for modification include a significant change in a parent's work schedule or living situation, a child's changing needs as they grow older, relocation by either parent, or a parent's failure to comply with the existing order.

We help clients evaluate whether their situation meets the threshold for modification and build the strongest possible case for the change they are seeking.

Child support orders can be modified when there is a substantial and continuing change in circumstances — typically a significant change in either parent's income or a change in the parenting time schedule. Either parent can seek a modification.

We represent clients in both seeking and opposing modifications, with attention to the timing and documentation needed to support the requested change.

When a party fails to comply with a court order — whether by withholding parenting time, failing to pay support, or violating other terms — Arizona courts have tools to enforce compliance. These include contempt of court proceedings, wage garnishment, liens on property, and other remedies.

Contempt proceedings can result in fines, attorney's fees awards, and in some cases incarceration. They are a serious enforcement mechanism that courts take seriously.

We move quickly on enforcement matters because delays cause real harm. If your rights under a court order are being violated, contact us promptly.

In some circumstances, emergency relief is available on an expedited basis — for example, when a child is in immediate danger or when a parent has wrongfully removed a child from the state. We can advise you on whether emergency relief is appropriate in your situation and move quickly when it is.