Attorneys at Law
Alimony or Spousal Support
Alimony or spousal support is financial support paid to either spouse based on a number of factors including but not limited to the length of a marriage, the standard of living during the marriage, the relative incomes or earning potentials of the parties, the health of the parties, the time a party has not worked, and the needs of each party.
In general, there are five types of alimony:
Temporary Alimony: Support awarded after the filing of a petition for dissolution and before finalization of the final judgment of dissolution. The standard for an award of temporary alimony is based on needs as fixed by the parties' current standard of living and current ability to pay.
Bridge-the-gap Alimony: Support awarded to assist a party in making the transition from being married to being single. Bridge-the-gap alimony is designed to assist a party with legitimate identifiable short-term needs, and the length of such an award may not exceed 2 years.
Rehabilitative Alimony: Support awarded to assist a party in establishing the capacity for self-support through either (1) the redevelopment of previous skills or credentials or (2) the acquisition of education, training, or work experience necessary to develop appropriate employment skills or credentials.
Permanent Periodic Alimony: Support awarded to provide for the needs and necessities of life for a former spouse as they were established during the marriage of the parties for a party who lacks the financial ability to meet his or her needs and necessities of life following a dissolution of marriage.
Durational Alimony: Support awarded when permanent periodic alimony is inappropriate. The purpose of durational alimony is to provide a party with economic assistance for a set period of time.
If you have questions about alimony, contact one of our attorneys today.