You thought the gavel falling was the final sound you’d ever hear in that courtroom. Most people do. You signed the papers, the judge nodded, and you walked out of the Oakland County Circuit Court thinking your life was finally sorted into neat little boxes.
Life is messy. Honestly, it rarely stays in those boxes for long. Maybe your ex-spouse stopped paying child support three months ago. Or perhaps you just got a promotion—congrats, by the way—but now you’re worried about how that pay bump affects your alimony. This is where post judgement action lawyers troy come into the picture.
These legal pros handle everything that happens after the "final" decision. Because in the eyes of Michigan law, "final" is often more of a "suggestion until further notice."
What Really Happens After the Divorce?
In Troy, Michigan, the legal world doesn't just stop because a judgment was entered. If you’re dealing with a Judgment of Divorce or a custody order, you’ve likely realized that enforcing those terms is a whole different beast than winning them in the first place.
Basically, post-judgment actions fall into two big buckets: enforcement and modification.
Enforcement is for when someone is being... well, difficult. They aren't following the rules. Modification is for when life changes so much that the old rules don't make sense anymore. Think of it like an old pair of shoes. They fit perfectly two years ago, but now they’re pinching your toes and giving you blisters. You don't just keep wearing them; you get a new pair.
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The Enforcement Grind
When an ex-spouse decides that the "parenting time" schedule is merely a list of helpful tips they can ignore, you have a problem. Or maybe they "forgot" to transfer the 401(k) assets they were supposed to hand over six months ago.
You can’t just call the police for most of this. They’ll usually tell you it’s a "civil matter."
That's code for "call your lawyer."
In Troy, a post-judgment lawyer will often file what’s called a Motion to Show Cause. This is a fancy way of telling the judge, "Hey, this person is ignoring your order, and they need to explain why they shouldn't be held in contempt." Contempt of court is serious. It can lead to fines, paying the other person's legal fees, or even a stint in the Oakland County jail if the violation is egregious enough.
Why Post Judgement Action Lawyers Troy Are Busy Right Now
The economy in Oakland County is shifting. Jobs move from the Big Three to tech startups along the I-75 corridor. People get laid off. People get raises.
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When your income changes by a significant amount, your child support shouldn't stay the same. Michigan law uses a specific formula for this, but the court won't automatically update it just because you got a new job at a firm on Big Beaver Road. You have to ask.
The "Change in Circumstances" Hurdle
You can't just walk into court and say you want more money because inflation is high. Michigan courts require a "substantial change in circumstances."
What does that look like?
- A parent losing their job.
- A child developing a medical condition that requires expensive care.
- One parent wanting to move more than 100 miles away (the "100-mile rule" is a big deal here).
- Evidence that the current custody arrangement is actually harming the child.
If you don't have a "threshold" change, the judge won't even look at your motion. They’ll toss it before you even get to argue the merits. This is why having someone who knows the local judges—like the ones sitting in the 6th Circuit Court—is actually pretty vital. Every judge has their own "flavor" of what they consider a "substantial" change.
The Friend of the Court (FOC) Factor
If you’re in Troy, you’re dealing with the Oakland County Friend of the Court. They’re the administrative arm that handles support and custody. Kinda helpful, kinda frustrating.
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They can do some enforcement for you, like garnishing wages for unpaid support. But they move at the speed of government. Sometimes you need a private attorney to bypass the bureaucracy and get a hearing on the docket fast.
Moving a Child: The 100-Mile Rule
This is a classic Troy scenario. You get a great job offer in Chicago or Grand Rapids. You want to take the kids. Under Michigan law (MCL 722.31), if you have joint custody, you generally can't move the kids more than 100 miles away without court approval or the other parent's consent.
Trying to do this without a lawyer is like trying to perform surgery on yourself. It’s painful and you’ll probably mess it up. The court looks at specific factors: Will the move improve the child's quality of life? Is the move just a way to frustrate the other parent's visitation? Can a new visitation schedule realistically work?
Real Examples of Post-Judgment Wins
I’ve seen cases where a father in Troy hadn't seen his kids in months because the mother kept "forgetting" it was his weekend. A post-judgment motion didn't just get him his time back; it got him "make-up" parenting time and the mother had to pay his $2,500 legal bill.
In another case, a woman found out her ex-husband had "hidden" a small pension during the divorce. Since the judgment was already signed, she thought she was out of luck. Nope. Her lawyer filed a motion to set aside that portion of the judgment based on fraud. She got her half.
Actionable Steps If You're Stuck
If you’re sitting there wondering if your court order is worth the paper it’s printed on, stop guessing. Here is what you actually need to do:
- Document everything. If they missed a payment, write down the date. If they were late for a pickup, save the text messages. Do not delete anything.
- Read your Judgment again. Seriously. Every word. Sometimes there are specific clauses about how to handle disputes (like mandatory mediation) before you can even go back to court.
- Check the 21-day rule. If your judgment was just signed and it’s wrong, you usually only have 21 days to file a motion for a new trial or to amend the judgment. After that, it gets much harder.
- Consult a specialist. Don't go to a "general practitioner" who handles traffic tickets and wills. You want a post judgement action lawyer in Troy who spends their mornings in the Oakland County courthouse.
- Prepare your financials. If you're looking to change support, have your last three years of tax returns and your last four pay stubs ready. The court won't move without them.
The law isn't static. It breathes. It changes as your life changes. Just because a judge signed something in 2022 doesn't mean you're trapped in that reality in 2026. Reach out to a local expert, get your documents in a row, and start the process of fixing what’s broken.