Avoid Future Problems, Consult With An Attorney To Avoid Modification Of Spousal Support By The Courts.
Since divorce attorneys, like the rest of the population, do not have a crystal ball, making decisions regarding whether spousal support should be modifiable in the future are difficult. This is a very crucial area where individuals trying to navigate through a termination of their marriage without an attorney can run into huge problems.
In Ohio, the Court does not automatically retain jurisdiction to modify spousal support in the future. Instead, the Court’s future jurisdiction to reduce, modify or terminate future spousal support is controlled by the explicit language contained in the Final Decree of Dissolution or Divorce. The drafting of that language, therefore, is critically important. Of course, whether you are the payor or the recipient can have a dramatic effect on how you want that provision written.
Options to consider include the following:
- The Court retains no continuing jurisdiction to modify spousal support in the future.
- The Court retains full jurisdiction to modify both the term and amount of spousal support.
- The Court retains limited jurisdiction to modify the amount of spousal support, but not extend the term.
- The Court retains limited