What is a “Material and Substantial Change in Circumstances?”

When you live in Texas and either pay or receive child support, a time may come when the current child support arrangement no longer serves you or your child’s needs. Under these circumstances, you may decide to request a child support modification. Certain things have to hold true for the state’s court system to grant you a child support order modification, and one of them is that a “material and substantial change in circumstances” must have taken place.

Per Texas Law Help, you also have to make such a request within a particular timeframe. You need to wait at least three years from the date your initial child support order took shape to request a modification to it. You also need to explain the material and substantial change in circumstances that you believe warrants a change to your existing child support order. To do so, you must show that one of the following things happened.

Your Income Changed

If the parent paying child support experienced a raise or a pay cut, this may constitute a valid reason for requesting a child support order modification.

The Paying Parent Had More Kids

If the parent paying child support became financially responsible for more children after the initial child support order took effect, this may also warrant a change.

The Child’s Insurance or Living Arrangements Changed

If changes took place with regard to your child’s living situation or insurance coverage since the original child support order took shape, this may also merit a second look at your child support order.

Child support modification requests filed without merit may lead to additional legal hardships.