Why families come to Connect Attorneys
Connect Attorneys is a Miami law firm serving clients throughout South Florida. Our family law attorneys focus on giving clients clear information and steady guidance, explaining how Florida law may apply and what to expect at each stage. Every client works directly with an attorney, and we serve South Florida families in English and Spanish.
Modifying a Family Law Order in Florida
A final judgment is not always the end of the story. Life changes, and Florida law allows certain orders to be modified when there is a substantial change in circumstances. Time-sharing generally requires a substantial and material change that is also in the child's best interest, and child support and alimony can be revisited when the financial picture changes significantly.
(Sources: Fla. Stat. § 61.13; Fla. Stat. § 61.30.)
What Counts as a Substantial Change
Not every change in life qualifies. Courts generally look for something significant and lasting rather than temporary or self-created: a real shift in income in either direction, a move that makes the current schedule unworkable, a lasting change in a parent's or child's health, or a household change that affects the child's day-to-day life. What qualifies is fact-specific, and the same event can matter differently in a support case than in a time-sharing case.
What Can and Cannot Be Modified
Not everything in a final judgment can be changed. Ongoing obligations such as support and time-sharing are generally modifiable when circumstances change, while the division of property in a divorce is usually final. We help clients understand which parts of their order may be open to modification, including alimony, where the type of award and the wording of the judgment control much of what is possible.
(Source: Fla. Stat. § 61.08.)
Time-Sharing Changes Carry an Extra Requirement
Changing a parenting plan is deliberately harder than changing a number. For time-sharing, Florida law requires a change in circumstances that is substantial and material, and the court must also find that the modification is in the child's best interest. In practice that means documenting not just that life changed, but why the new arrangement serves the child better than the one the court already approved. Stability itself has value in a child's life, and judges weigh it.
(Source: Fla. Stat. § 61.13.)
Why an Informal Agreement Is Not Enough
Parents sometimes adjust the schedule or the support amount between themselves and never tell the court. That is understandable, and it is also risky: until a judge approves a modification, the existing order stays fully enforceable. A parent who paid less by informal agreement can still be pursued for the difference, and a schedule change that only exists in text messages offers no protection if the other parent changes their mind. Putting the agreement through the court is what makes it real.
The Process in Miami-Dade
A modification is requested by filing a supplemental petition in the existing case, and when money is involved both sides exchange updated financial affidavits. Courts often direct the parties to mediation before a hearing, and many modifications resolve there. Family cases here are heard in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit; our guide to the Miami-Dade family courthouse shows what the process looks like, and our family law overview puts modifications in context.
This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. How these rules apply depends on the details of your situation. Talking with an attorney is the clearest way to understand what they mean for you.