Alimony

                  Alimony is meant to assist a spouse with the transition from married to single life.  There is no longer the presumption that alimony goes only to the former wife, as either spouse may qualify to receive alimony depending on the receiving spouses need for the alimony, and the paying spouse’s ability to pay. There are a few different kinds of alimony which a spouse may be eligible for, depending on the duration of the marriage and several other factors such as the standard of living during the marriage, earning capacities of each party, the contribution of each party to the marriage, and many other considerations. For example, there is alimony designed for short term needs and there is alimony designed to rehabilitate the spouse and provide him or her with the resources needed to acquire the skills or education necessary to be self-supporting after the divorce. In addition, long term marriages may even qualify for permanent alimony depending on the circumstances. 

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                   Typically, before the possibility of alimony can be analyzed, equitable distribution of marital assets would have to take place to determine how much the potential payee of alimony will be receiving after all the marital assets, if any, are distributed. The court may also consider the infidelity of either spouse in determining the amount of alimony to be received by the other party. For more information on this topic and to schedule a consultation, call us today for a more individualized analysis.