When people work together to resolve their California divorce through mediation, the last step in this process occurs when the spouses execute what’s known as a Marital Settlement Agreement, or MSA, that’s presented to the court for approval. If the MSA is approved by the court, the marriage will be legally dissolved and the terms contained in the MSA will govern the post-divorce relationship between the parties. Generally, this process is best completed with the help of experienced San Diego divorce mediation lawyers.
However, as many people can understand, circumstances can change at almost any time and for almost any reason. When circumstances do change, the former spouses may not be sure how to proceed in order to resolve the confusion that could now reign. Once again, the best immediate step to take is to obtain the help of experienced San Diego divorce mediation lawyers, and below is a brief introduction to how changes can be made to the original MSA.
Trust in the Process
When spouses have successfully mediated their original divorce and executed a valid MSA that was accepted by the court, there is every reason to believe that the same spouses can work out whatever changes need to be made by using the same process. Mediation can be used to allow the parties to negotiate the changes that need to be made to fit the new circumstances that govern the lives of those involved.
Issues That Often Arise
After a divorce is complete, the former spouses tend to go their separate ways, and this occurs sometimes even if children were born during the marriage. Therefore, one of the most common issues that tends to arise involves one parent wanting to move away from his or her current location to a place that’s not within a close proximity to the other.
In addition to the prospect of one parent moving, other situations could arise that could affect the amount of child support that’s paid, the amount of spousal support that’s paid or even the child visitation or shared custody schedules. When a skilled San Diego divorce mediation attorney is involved, changes to the MSA can be worked out and presented to the court much like the original MSA was that led to the dissolution of the marriage.
If you are operating under the terms of a California MSA and you need to change some of the terms of that agreement, you need to explore the possibility of working the issues out civilly much like you did with your original divorce. Contact the San Diego divorce mediation lawyers at the law office of James D. Scott today to schedule an initial consultation.
