At Jones Law Firm, PC, we help Centennial parents change parenting time, decision-making, and support orders that no longer fit their lives. Since 2000, our attorneys have handled more than 4,000 family law matters across Arapahoe County.
A modification asks the court to update your decree to match your family’s life now. It is not a redo of the divorce. Colorado courts require a substantial and continuing change, such as a new job or a child’s changing needs. The change must be lasting, not a temporary rough patch.
When bonuses, equity, or new hours shift your income, recalculating support under the guidelines often happens alongside a schedule change.
Filing does not have to mean a fight. Many modifications start with an agreement or a measured, evidence-based request. Your attorney and paralegal confirm which court holds your case, then draft and file all required pleadings, affidavits, and proposed orders.
Why Choose Jones Law Firm In Centennial
25+ Years In Colorado Family Law
Family law is all we have practiced since 2000. That depth lets us tell you whether your change will likely meet the substantial and continuing change standard before anything is filed.
A Round Table Behind Every Case
Several attorneys and staff review your modification at our Round Table Brain Trust. Your strategy never depends on one person’s memory or calendar.
A Named Attorney And Paralegal
Our 40+ person team includes 17 attorneys and 13 paralegals. Your attorney and paralegal work as a pair, so your call gets answered when one is in court.
Updates Before You Ask
Our Communication Guarantee means regular updates without chasing anyone. Your decree, pay records, and filings stay in a secure client portal.
Offices Close To Your Court
Our Greenwood Village, Aurora, and Parker offices serve families with cases in the 18th Judicial District Court (Arapahoe County). We work with clients in English and Spanish.
Clarity From The First Conversation
Your first step is a 45-minute consultation with a Client Relationship Specialist. You leave knowing what is likely, what is not, and what to gather.
What Clients Say About Jones Law Firm
“Dawn stepped in for the child support modification and absolutely delivered.” Amber H.
“They help me with getting a parental agreement and with a petition to move.” Eric P.
“Hayley Hollands and Mokshangi Shah are a fantastic lawyer/paralegal team.” Eric H.
“Paid attention to the details that moved my case forward.” Kate P.
“They were incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate and made the stress feel easier to manage.” Matthew V.B.
What To Do After A Centennial Modification Is Approved
Once the judge signs the modified order, it replaces the old terms from that day forward.
- Check the support start date: under C.R.S. 14-10-122, a new child support amount applies only to payments due after the motion was filed, never earlier.
- Update payment routing: confirm your employer gets any new wage assignment and that payments through the Colorado Family Support Registry show the new figure.
- Reset the family calendar: enter the new schedule, school breaks, and exchange times and places into one shared calendar.
- Notify the right people: send the relevant pages to your payroll team and your child’s school.
If the order includes a revised parenting plan, follow it exactly from the first exchange. The modified order carries the same weight as the original decree, and a court can enforce it through contempt.
If life shifts again, the order does not shift with it. Any later change needs a new motion and a new showing of substantial and continuing change.
Our Modification Services In Centennial
We handle every part of the modification process for Centennial parents whose decree no longer fits their life.
- Child support modification
- Parenting time modification
- Parenting plan revisions
- Decision-making modification
- Spousal maintenance modification
- Relocation-driven modifications
- Motion to modify drafting
- Sworn financial statement preparation
- Stipulated modified orders
- Modification hearing representation
Speak With a Trusted Family Law Attorney
For clear guidance through divorce, custody, and family law matters in Colorado, contact Jones Law Firm. Call 303-799-8155 to schedule your confidential consultation.
How The 18th Judicial District Court Decides Modifications In Centennial
A district court judge or magistrate in the 18th Judicial District Court (Arapahoe County) decides every motion to modify. No agreement with your co-parent is binding until the court signs it, even if you already follow the new schedule.
Most cases take one of two paths. A stipulated modification sends your written agreement to the court for approval, often without a hearing. A contested motion goes to a hearing, where the court applies a set standard to each issue:
- Child support and maintenance require a substantial and continuing change under C.R.S. 14-10-122.
- A recalculated support figure that shifts 10% or more is presumed to meet that standard.
- Parenting time changes turn on the child’s best interests and changed circumstances under C.R.S. 14-10-129.
- Decision-making changes follow the stricter rules in C.R.S. 14-10-131.
The court may order mediation, a parental responsibilities evaluator, or a child and family investigator before ruling. If Colorado Child Support Services is a party, it receives notice and weighs in on support.
Filing A Modification In Centennial At The Arapahoe County Justice Center
A modification in the 18th Judicial District Court (Arapahoe County) starts with a written motion and supporting documents filed at the Arapahoe County Justice Center in Centennial. We draft and file all required pleadings, affidavits, and proposed orders on your behalf.
- Motion to modify, explaining the substantial and continuing change
- Supporting affidavit, signed under oath
- Proposed parenting plan, if the schedule or decision-making is changing
- Sworn Financial Statement and child support worksheet, if support is changing
- Mandatory financial disclosures, including pay stubs, tax returns, and bonus or equity records
- Proposed order for the judge to sign
Filings go through Colorado Courts E-Filing. The other parent must be served and gets a set time to respond, usually 21 days. The court then sets a status conference or hearing.
Get To Know Jones Law Firm In Centennial
Since 2000, our attorneys have handled more than 4,000 family law matters across Arapahoe County. Founder and CEO April D. Jones has practiced law since 1991 and leads a 44-person firm across six Front Range offices. We made the Inc. 5000 list in 2025 and 2026.
In June 2026, April was elected Vice President of the Colorado Bar Association. In July 2027, she becomes its first Black woman President.
Our Modification Process For Centennial Families
1. Intake and scheduling
A Client Relationship Specialist gathers the basics of your current orders and books your consultation by phone or at the nearest office.
2. Consultation with a Client Relationship Specialist
You explain what has changed since the decree. You leave with a clear picture of how a Colorado modification works and what comes next.
3. Agreement signed
You sign the engagement agreement, and work on your case begins.
4. Your attorney and paralegal assigned
Your named team reviews your decree, parenting plan, and support orders. They send a checklist covering pay records (including bonuses or equity), your work schedule, and school records.
5. Round Table strategy session
Several attorneys and staff review your case together. Your attorney tells you what is likely first, then lays out the plan: an agreed order or a motion in the court that holds your case.
6. Ongoing support through the case
We draft and file all required pleadings, affidavits, and proposed orders, and prepare you for mediation or a hearing. Under the Communication Guarantee, updates and documents arrive in your secure client portal.
7. Final order and follow-up
Once the court enters the modified order, we help you put it into practice. We stay available if your family’s needs change again.
Frequently Asked Questions About Modification
Does A New Job With Rotating Shifts And A Longer Commute Count As A Substantial And Continuing Change For Modifying Parenting Time In Colorado?
Yes, if the change is lasting and the current schedule no longer works for the child. A permanent new role usually qualifies, while a short project or temporary schedule usually does not.
My Bonus And Equity Pay Changed. How Much Must Child Support Move Before Colorado Will Modify It, And Is The Change Retroactive?
Colorado generally requires the new guideline amount to differ by at least 10% from the current order.
Is Changing Parenting Time The Same As Changing Decision-Making Over School And Medical Choices?
No. Parenting time changes rest on the child’s best interests.
Our Decree Came From Another County Or From California. Can We File The Modification In Arapahoe County?
Usually the court that issued the order keeps the case.
If My Co-Parent And I Verbally Agreed To A New Schedule, Does That Change The Court Order?
No. The written order controls until a judge approves a new one.
Can Spousal Maintenance Be Modified, And When Does It End?
Maintenance can usually change after a substantial and continuing change, unless your decree made it non-modifiable.
How Long Does A Modification Take In The 18th Judicial District Court In Arapahoe County?
Agreed modifications often finish within a few weeks to a couple of months.
Local Resources In Centennial For Modification Cases
- Arapahoe County District Court
State trial court handling family law matters including child support and custody orders.
- Arapahoe County Human Services
County agency that administers child welfare, support enforcement, and family assistance programs.
- Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder
Office that maintains official county records including court filings and vital documents.
- Arapahoe County Assessor
Office that assesses property values, which can be relevant when evaluating financial disclosures in family cases.
- Arapahoe County Treasurer
Manages county financial records that may be subpoenaed or referenced in income and asset hearings.
Ask Jones Law Firm About Changing Your Orders In Centennial
Schedule a consultation with a Client Relationship Specialist to learn whether your change can support a modification and which court holds your case. Bring your decree, recent pay records, and your current work schedule.
Under our Communication Guarantee, your attorney and paralegal update you before you have to ask, and your case documents stay in the secure client portal.
Call us or visit the nearest of our six Front Range offices.
