Alimony, also known as spousal support, is money paid from one ex-spouse to another following a divorce. Not all divorces include alimony agreements and the amount of spousal support can vary depending on your particular circumstances as well as state law.
But there are some general guidelines to paying and receiving alimony, including how long spousal support payments will last, how to adjust the payment amount, and what to do if your ex stops paying. Here are the biggest questions, and some answers, to alimony questions from our archives:
1. Spousal Support: How Is Alimony Calculated?
How much money were you making? How about your ex? Do you have any shared children? What was your standard of living during the marriage? Does it matter who filed for divorce, or whose fault it was?
2. Stay-at-Home Moms: What Alimony Can You Expect After Divorce?
Spousal support can be especially important to mothers who were busy raising the kids and taking care of the house. After years out of the workforce, it can be difficult to find a job and she may not have much in the way of savings. So how do stay-at-home moms make sure they’re taken care of in a divorce?
3. What to Do If Your Ex-Spouse Won’t Pay Support?
There are deadbeat dads and delinquent moms out there, and dealing with an ex who is consistently late or refuses to pay court-ordered spousal support can be a nightmare. So what are your legal options and obligations when it comes to making your ex-spouse pay alimony?
4. Paying Alimony: How Long Can It Continue?
This isn’t just a concern for the person paying — receiving exes also want to know how long spousal support can last. Every alimony agreement or order is different, but spousal support is generally intended to be temporary, and paid until the recipient spouse is able to become self-supporting.
5. What Is Palimony? How Does It Work?
If you thought you had to be married and divorced to get spousal support, think again. Even unmarried exes may be entitled to alimony if they relied on their former partner’s promises of financial support.
Divorces can be difficult times, both emotionally and legally. If you’re considering a divorce or have more questions about getting alimony or spousal support from an ex, an experienced family law attorney can help.
