5. Go to court to end spousal support

If you and your partner can’t agree to end spousal support, you can go to court and ask a judge to decide. You do this by bringing a motion to change.

Going to court can be a complicated process and it can take a lot of time. It can be stressful and expensive, but it is sometimes necessary to decide your issues. This family law court process flowchart explains each step in a family law court case.

A motion to change is the name of the court process used to ask a judge to make changes to support in your separation agreement or court order.

You have to tell the judge why you think spousal support should end. You have to show that there has been a significant change in circumstances. For example:

• You or your partner’s income has gone up or down.
• The partner receiving spousal support should now be self-supporting.
• The partner receiving support is re-married and support was only being paid because they were in need.
• The arrangements about the children have changed.

You can talk to a lawyer who can tell you if facts exist that may convince a judge that your separation agreement or court order should be ended and help you through the process.

If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer for your whole case, some lawyers provide “unbundled services” or “limited scope retainer” services. This means you pay them to help you with part of your case.

If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer at all, you may be able to find legal help in other places.