How Do Courts Calculate Alimony?
How much alimony you receive or pay can depend on a lot of different factors. The court will look at your unique situation and figure out what a fair arrangement looks like. A judge can also decide to grant different types of alimony. If you want to make sure that you get the best possible deal here, it’s a good idea to have our Chatham alimony attorneys on your side.
What Are the Types of Alimony?
There are a few different types of alimony that can be awarded after a divorce and its entirely possible that one spouse could end up paying multiple types of alimony to another. Some of these arrangements are temporary, some are meant to last for a long time, and others only come up in specific scenarios.
Temporary alimony is the first type of spousal support that should be mentioned in a divorce trial. This requires one spouse to support the other while the divorce is pending. This happens often when one spouse makes far more money than the other or one spouse is a stay-at-home parent or homemaker with no income of their own.
Limited or open duration alimony is what most people think of when they think of alimony. They are payments made by one spouse to another after the divorce is finalized. Limited duration is meant to help one spouse get acclimated to providing for themselves and reach financial independence. Open duration is sometimes called permanent alimony because it has no set end point. It is usually only awarded if the marriage lasts 20 years or more.
Then you have rehabilitative alimony, which is offered when a spouse needs job training or education that will allow them to become financially independent, and reimbursement alimony, which is awarded to spouses who supported their partners through education programs that would have led to a higher income and better lifestyle.
When Do Alimony Payments Stop?
Spousal support agreements often have a set end date. They can also end early if the spouse receiving money marries someone else or begins to cohabitate with a new partner. The death of the paying spouse also ends any spousal support agreements.
What Factors Determine How Much Alimony is Paid?
When we look at the types of spousal support, we can see how factors like the length of the marriage and the income, education, and employability of both spouses factor into the equation. These are not the only things considered by the court though. A judge can also look at:
- The health of both spouses
- The standard of living established during marriage
- Parental responsibilities taken on by both spouses
- How other property was distributed
- Any other factor the court deems relevant
Talk to a Family Lawyer
Going through a divorce can be tough, but it’s easier when you have seasoned attorneys helping you fight for the best possible outcome. Contact Lazor Rantas, PC and learn more about what we can do to assist you with every aspect of your divorce case, from spousal support to property division.
