Collecting and Changing a Spousal/Partner Support Order

Change a long-term support order

If you have a long-term support order and your situation changes: 

• If your spouse will agree to change, you can write-up, both sign, and have a judge sign your new agreement. Get step-by-step instruction on how to prepare agreement to change support .
• If you can't agree, you can ask the judge to change the amount or even end support. You will need to show that there's been a significant change in your situation. Get step-by-step instruction on how to ask to change support.

If you have an order and need to change it

You can ask the judge to change support if things changed since the last order, like:

• You are now making less money 

• The other parent is now making more money 

• You are now spending more time with your children 

If you and the other parent don't agree about the change, you can file a Request for Order (form FL-300) to ask to change the order. If you and the other parent agree on the change, you can turn in a written agreement for the judge to sign.

If you have an LCSA child support case (a government child support case), there are different instructions to ask to change the order.  They will also need to approve any agreement to change support.

How do I know if the LCSA is part of my case? Learn more

If your duty to pay support ended (for example, your child turned 18 and graduated high school), you can stop support payments from being taken from your paycheck.

If you need to change the order, don't wait

A judge can only change the support amount as far back as the day you filed papers asking for a change. The judge can’t make any changes to the amount before that day.