After a
divorce, there is a chance that one spouse will be required by law to make alimony
payments to their ex.
Alimony is awarded to a spouse, either husband or wife, for various reasons. In
some situations one spouse could have been a stay at home parent, and
therefore a divorce will send them out into the world without a job and
a means of living, alimony could be determined by the court to help the
ex-spouse get back on their feet. The length of alimony payments is specific
for each case; it can either be for a period or permanent.
Alimony may also be given due to the standard of living that the spouse
was used to, and the divorce would affect that. In the event that a spouse
is awarded
child custody, alimony may also be given as a means of helping for extra health requirements
on behalf of the child or in the event that the spouse was ill, alimony
may help them make their payments. There are situations that may call
for the spouse who is paying alimony to request modifications on their
payments.
If this is you, perhaps you lost your job or had your pay cut, then you
would want to seek to pay less in alimony to your ex as a means of surviving
on your lower income. In the event that you become ill or injured and
it affects your finances, the court may be able to determine that your
payments be decreased or terminated. Having a family attorney on your
side during this time will be helpful as you fight to make lower payments.
Perhaps your ex has received a new job or increase in pay; they have been
remarried, etc. you may apply to have the payments decreased or terminated
as well. If your ex decides to move in with another person and is in an
intimate relationship with them, you may be able to seek to pay less.
Over time your ex may become stable on their own, and may no longer need
your support now that they are back on their feet with a stable job, this
too is grounds for applying for a modification.
The weight of making alimony payments may be a burden, especially in the
event that an emergency happens and you are forced to come up with a large
sum of money. Whether this is a serious illness or accident, or another
member of your family requires help, this may call for modification as
well. As you can see there are many sides to alimony payments as well
as seeking to change or terminate the payments.
Contact Hutchinson Law for a divorce attorney who can walk you through these steps and help you
with your case. Call us today for more information!