Spousal maintenance, also known as alimony, refers to payments from the future income of one spouse for the support and maintenance of the other. This arrangement can be temporary or permanent.
The court may award maintenance (alimony) payments if the spouse seeking the money can make the case that they are unable to provide adequate self support. When deciding this issue, the court will consider among other things the standard of living established during the marriage, and whether or not the spouse who is asked to provide the support is able to contribute it.
The purpose of alimony is to avoid any unfair economic consequence of a divorce even after property is divided and child support, if any, is awarded. The courts have set few specific guidelines in resolving this issue, which means judges have been granted broad discretion in deciding what is fair in each case. In addition, spousal maintenance (alimony) can be modified or even eliminated as the divorced spouses’ needs change.
Kallemeyn & Kallemeyn’s Divorce Attorneys can guide you through this difficult arena involved with ending a marriage.
