Child support generally may be changed or modified by filing a motion to modify and demonstrating to the court that the circumstances of the child or one or both parents have materially and substantially changed, or that some period of time (3 years, for example) has passed since the court’s last child support order. And if there has been a material and substantial change in the custody of the child—if, for example, the noncustodial parent who was paying child support has become the custodial parent—the court may change or eliminate the child support obligation based on the change in the custody arrangement.
In Indiana, child support orders can be modified if there is a demonstration of a substantial and continuing change in circumstances that makes the current support order unreasonable. This could include significant changes in income, the needs of the child, or the custody arrangement. Indiana law typically considers a change to be substantial if the new child support amount, as calculated under the state's guidelines, would differ by more than 20% from the current amount, and at least twelve months have passed since the order was last modified. Additionally, Indiana law presumes that a child support order should be reviewed every three years to determine if the amount should be adjusted. If there is a change in custody, such as the noncustodial parent becoming the custodial parent, this could also be grounds for modifying or terminating the child support obligation. To initiate a modification, the parent must file a motion to modify with the court that issued the original child support order, and the court will review the evidence presented to decide if a modification is warranted.