Your life is bound to change after filing for divorce in Birmingham. No matter whether yours is a contested divorce or an uncontested, there are several things to discuss and settle with your spouse, including alimony. Also known as spousal support, alimony is the amount that one spouse pays the another after the divorce. If you don’t know whether you qualify for alimony, consider meeting the legal experts of The Harris Firm to learn more. Here are some facts to know
Factors that matter
Whether or not a spouse will get alimony depends on several factors, including how long the marriage has existed, the financial situation of both parties and the grounds for divorce. The standard of living that the couple shared during the marriage is also a pertinent factor. Each case is evaluated on facts, which means that just because your friend got spousal support doesn’t mean you will qualify for the same.
Understanding rehabilitative alimony
For the unversed, rehabilitative alimony is the financial support that one party pays the other (the less fortunate one) so that the latter doesn’t have to compromise on their standard of living and can increase their income. The eventual goal of rehabilitative alimony is to enable the spouse to receive the amount to advance their career to make more money. According to state laws, the rehabilitative alimony amount is limited to five years for most cases. It is expected that the spouse seeking alimony will be able to make a decent outcome after that period.
In typical situations, rehabilitative alimony is awarded when there is a significant disparity between the income of both spouses or when one has been a stay-at-home parent for most of the marriage. However, the court may still grant rehabilitative alimony to a spouse who earns much less than the other.
Other things to know
While there are no fixed rules, a judge may decide that one spouse needs more than just rehabilitative alimony. The norm is one year of alimony for every three years of marriage, and there is usually a time cap on how long the amount is paid. When a couple has been married for more than 20 years, a spouse may get alimony for an indefinite period. If your spouse has a fault, such as adultery, this may also impact judgments related to spousal support.
Contact a Birmingham divorce attorney today to find more details and educate yourself about the process before filing the papers.
