Full question:
Can a divorce be modified 14 years later if the husband wrote it and was a lawyer and the wife was a housewife? My ex-husband is a prominent attorney who refused to give me a prenup. He is making lots and lots of money and I make $12.50 per hour and am having a hard time getting by. I did remarry and divorce again however I stayed home with kids during a 15 year marriage while he worked at the career per our marital arrangement.
- Category: Divorce
- Subcategory: Modification
- Date:
- State: Connecticut
Answer:
As a general rule in all states, any operative divorce decree may be modified upon a showing of changed circumstances. An operative divorce decree is one whose provisions for spousal or child support, child visitation, property division, or other type of ongoing order are still in effect.
The Connecticut divorce statutes may be viewed at: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/pub/chap815j.htm. A relevant statute is:
Sec. 46b-86. (Formerly Sec. 46-54). Modification of alimony or support orders and judgments.
(a) Unless and to the extent that the decree precludes modification, the court may order either party to maintain life insurance for the other party or a minor child of the parties or any final order for the periodic payment of permanent alimony or support or an order for alimony or support pendente lite may at any time thereafter be continued, set aside, altered or modified by said court upon a showing of a substantial change in the circumstances of either party or upon a showing that the final order for child support substantially deviates from the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a, unless there was a specific finding on the record that the application of the guidelines would be inequitable or inappropriate. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that any deviation of less than fifteen per cent from the child support guidelines is not substantial and any deviation of fifteen per cent or more from the guidelines is substantial. Modification may be made of such support order without regard to whether the order was issued before, on or after May 9, 1991. In determining whether to modify a child support order based on a substantial deviation from such child support guidelines the court shall consider the division of real and personal property between the parties set forth in the final decree and the benefits accruing to the child as the result of such division. After the date of judgment, modification of any child support order issued before or after July 1, 1990, may be made upon a showing of such substantial change of circumstances, whether or not such change of circumstances was contemplated at the time of dissolution. By written agreement, stipulation or by decision of the court, those items or circumstances that were contemplated and are not to be changed may be specified in the written agreement, stipulation or decision of the court. This section shall not apply to assignments under section 46b-81 or to any assignment of the estate or a portion thereof of one party to the other party under prior law. No order for periodic payment of permanent alimony or support may be subject to retroactive modification, except that the court may order modification with respect to any period during which there is a pending motion for modification of an alimony or support order from the date of service of notice of such pending motion upon the opposing party pursuant to section 52-50.
(b) In an action for divorce, dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment brought by a husband or wife, in which a final judgment has been entered providing for the payment of periodic alimony by one party to the other, the Superior Court may, in its discretion and upon notice and hearing, modify such judgment and suspend, reduce or terminate the payment of periodic alimony upon a showing that the party receiving the periodic alimony is living with another person under circumstances which the court finds should result in the modification, suspension, reduction or termination of alimony because the living arrangements cause such a change of circumstances as to alter the financial needs of that party.
(c) When one of the parties, or a child of the parties, is receiving or has received aid or care from the state under its aid to families with dependent children program or temporary assistance for needy families program or under its foster care program as provided in Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, or where one of the parties has applied for child support enforcement services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act as provided in section 17b-179, such motion to modify shall be filed with the Family Support Magistrate Division for determination in accordance with subsection (m) of section 46b-231.
Other grounds for modification may exist. An experienced Connecticut divorce lawyer could advise you on your options. Please see the link below to Connecticut divorce lawyers, as well as the links to legal information regarding modification of divorce decrees generally.
Best wishes.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
