Alimony, sometimes referred to as maintenance, is a type of spousal support that where the spouse that makes significantly more income than the other pays to their soon-to-be ex to allow them to continue living under similar living conditions. Many jurisdictions have a time limit on when this begins to kick in, such as 7 or 10 years. Alimony can be permanent or temporary in nature.
Alimony is a contentious issue and anyone who feels this may be something they have to deal with should speak with an expert divorce attorney for a free consultation before going any further with their divorce.
Understand Alimony or Spousal Maintenance
Some of the significant aspects that are taken into account for alimony are:
- How long was the marriage?
- Are there significant differences in the spouses income levels?
- Did one party contribute to the other parties education or career?
- Is one of the parties disabled or unable to work?
Permanent Alimony
When one of the parties to a divorce has significantly reduced capacity to earn a living for any myriad of reason, some courts have been known to award permanent alimony, whereby the spouse paying the alimony may have to pay for the remainder of their life, or until specific things take place in either parties lives. This amount could be a percentage of future earnings or an actual raw number. Only a divorce attorney can give you a good idea what your situation calls for, which is why you can get a 100% free consultation right here today!
Temporary Alimony
Temporary alimony is sometimes known as “rehabilitative alimony” or rehabilitative maintenance because it is for a set amount of time to help the other spouse reach a similar earning potential. This is common when one party has a degree and works while the other stays at home with the kids. Rehabilitative or temporary alimony would force the working spouse to pay a percentage of their income until the other party is able to complete job training or complete schooling necessary to obtain a good paying job. A skilled attorney will fight to make sure the right circumstances are met and your alimony matter is handled properly to make sure you are not taken advantage of. Get your free evaluation right now!
Does Permanent Alimony Ever End?
In many cases, yes it does. There are many things that can end alimony even if it’s “permanent.” Speaking with an attorney is your best bet to find out what can trigger these results. However, some of the things that can reduce or end permanent alimony can be the recipient spouse earning close to or more money than the paying spouse. In similar fashion, if the payor spouse loses his or her job or is forced into a significantly reduced income paying job, this may reduce or eliminate the requirement to continue paying alimony. Oftentimes, alimony is eliminated if the recipient spouse remarries or even cohabitates with another member of the opposite sex.
Only an attorney, as found on this site, can give you the peace of mind you need when it comes to dealing with your own alimony situation. Offering a no obligation consultation is the how our team helps you sleep at night. Don’t wait another minute, you have thousands of dollars at stake—learn what your rights are when it comes to alimony now!