Virginia Form DC-630, the Motion to Amend or Review Order, is the form you use to ask a court to change an existing child support order. To file a Virginia child support modification using DC-630, download the form from the Virginia Judicial System website or pick one up at the clerk’s office, describe the change you want and the reason for it, and file it with the court that issued your current order. There is no filing fee, and no sheriff’s fee for serving the other parent in a child support case. The form itself is short. Most of the work happens before you fill it out, when you gather the income and expense records the judge will use to recalculate support.
Make Sure You Have Grounds to File
Virginia courts can revise a child support order when there has been a material change in circumstances since the last order was entered. Virginia Code § 20-108 gives the court ongoing authority to “revise and alter” support decrees when the circumstances of the parents or the needs of the children require it.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-108 – Revision and Alteration of Such Decrees Either parent can file. The Department of Social Services and probation officers can also petition for a review.
Virginia law does not list every situation that qualifies, but common grounds include a significant increase or decrease in either parent’s income, job loss, a new medical condition affecting the child, the end of childcare expenses as a child ages, or a substantial change in the custody schedule. A parent being incarcerated for 180 or more consecutive days is specifically recognized as a material change.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-108.1 – Determination of Child or Spousal Support
Two things the statute says do not qualify: having financial responsibility for a new child from another relationship is not, by itself, a material change; and if a parent took on extra work solely to pay off a support arrearage, stopping that extra work once the arrearage is paid does not qualify either.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-108.2 – Guideline for Determination of Child Support
What to Gather Before You Fill Out the Form
DC-630 asks for names, addresses, what you want changed, and why. The hearing that follows will require detailed financial information, and the court needs precise numbers to run the guidelines calculation. Pull these together first:
- Your current support order: the case number, the specific dollar amount, and the date the judge signed it. You will reference all of these on the form.
- Income documentation: at least three months of recent pay stubs (six months if your income varies), your most recent tax return and W-2s, and records of any bonuses, commissions, or overtime. Self-employed parents should prepare profit-and-loss statements and business tax returns.
- Health insurance costs: the monthly premium you pay for coverage that includes the child, plus records of unreimbursed medical, dental, or vision expenses.
- Childcare expenses: receipts or statements from your provider showing monthly costs tied to your employment.
- Evidence of the changed circumstance: a termination letter, a doctor’s report of a new diagnosis, documentation of a change in the parenting schedule, or whatever else supports the specific reason you are filing.
Filling Out Form DC-630 Step by Step
The form is one page, front and back.
At the top, check whether your case is in General District Court or Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Most child support cases are in JDR court, but the form works for either. Write in the city or county where the court is located.4Virginia Judicial System. Motion to Amend or Review Order
The next section identifies the parties. Enter your name and contact information as the person filing the motion, then the other parent’s name, address, and phone number. If additional parties need to receive notice, such as a guardian, there is space for them as well.
In the body of the form, check the box indicating you want the attached order changed, amended, or modified. A blank field asks you to describe the specific changes you are requesting. Keep this focused on facts. State the current support amount, the amount you believe is appropriate, and the reason for the change. For example: “Current order is $800/month. I request a reduction to $500/month due to involuntary job loss on March 15, 2026, reducing my gross monthly income from $5,200 to $3,100.” A separate checkbox lets you state the reasons for the request in more detail.
Sign and date the bottom. There is no notary or witness requirement.
The Guidelines Worksheet You Also Need
When a support order is modified, the court needs a completed Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form DC-637, to run the numbers. It is available from the same Virginia courts website where you found DC-630.5Virginia Judicial System. Custody, Visitation and Child Support Forms The worksheet walks through both parents’ gross monthly incomes, deductions, health care premiums, and childcare costs to produce a presumptive support amount under Virginia Code § 20-108.2.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-108.2 – Guideline for Determination of Child Support Bring a completed worksheet to your hearing. Judges expect it, and some courts require it before they will recalculate support.6Supreme Court of Virginia. JDR Manual – Appendix A – Civil Fees and Forms
Where to File, and What It Costs
File the completed DC-630 with the clerk of the court that issued the existing support order. In most child support cases that is the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in the city or county where the original case was heard.
There is no filing fee. The JDR Court Manual is explicit: “Fees are not assessed” for motions to amend or review orders.6Supreme Court of Virginia. JDR Manual – Appendix A – Civil Fees and Forms
After the clerk accepts your filing, the other parent must be served with notice of the motion. In child support cases, no sheriff’s fee is charged for service.7Virginia Courts. Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Manual – Support The clerk’s office typically coordinates service through the local sheriff once you provide the other parent’s current address.
Why Filing Promptly Matters
Virginia law makes any modification retroactive to the date the modification proceeding was filed, provided you exercised due diligence in getting the other parent served. The court has discretion over whether to apply that retroactivity fully or partially, but the clock starts when the clerk stamps your motion, not when the judge eventually rules.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-108.1 – Determination of Child or Spousal Support If your income has dropped and a reduction is warranted, filing quickly protects you from accumulating arrearages at the old rate during the months the case is pending.
What Happens After You File
The clerk assigns a return date, which is your first court appearance. The judge reviews the motion and determines next steps. Both parents receive written notice with the date, time, and courtroom. At the return date, the judge may set a final hearing, order mediation, or in some cases proceed directly if both parties are ready and the issues are narrow.
Preparing for the Hearing
At the hearing, both parents present evidence and the judge recalculates support using the guidelines. Bring multiple copies of everything: one for yourself, one for the judge, and one for the other parent. The evidence falls into four buckets:
- Income proof: recent pay stubs covering at least three months (six if your pay fluctuates), your latest tax return and W-2s, and documentation of any bonuses or commissions. Self-employed parents should bring profit-and-loss statements and business tax returns.
- Health insurance documentation: premium statements showing what you pay to cover the child, plus receipts for unreimbursed medical or dental expenses.
- Childcare costs: invoices or billing statements from the provider, with dates that correspond to the custodial parent’s work schedule.
- Evidence of the changed circumstance: a layoff letter, a new medical diagnosis, documentation of a custody schedule change, or proof of the other parent’s changed income.
A short written summary of your situation, one or two pages covering the facts and the relief you are requesting, helps the judge absorb the case quickly. Stick to facts and dollar amounts.
An Alternative: Ask DCSE for a Review
Filing DC-630 yourself is not the only path. Virginia’s Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE), part of the Department of Social Services, can review and seek modification of child support orders in cases where the agency is involved. If your case was established or is being enforced through DCSE, you can contact the agency and request an administrative review of the support amount. DCSE will examine whether the current order aligns with the guidelines and, if the numbers have shifted enough, initiate a modification proceeding. This can help if you are uncomfortable navigating the court process alone, though it moves on the agency’s timeline rather than yours.
If You or the Other Parent Have Left Virginia
Jurisdiction rules change if the family has moved. Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, the court that issued the original support order keeps exclusive jurisdiction to modify it as long as the child or at least one parent still lives in that state. If everyone has left Virginia, another state’s court can take over modification authority.8Administration for Children & Families. Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders
Jurisdiction can also shift if both parents file written consent allowing a court in the new state to modify the order. Without that consent, if even one parent still lives in Virginia, Virginia retains control. Filing DC-630 in a Virginia court that has lost jurisdiction will not accomplish anything. The clerk may accept the filing, but the court cannot act on it. Check where the child and the other parent currently reside before you file.