Spousal Support and Alimony- Understanding Your Rights

Alimony is given to ensure that there is no inequality and no unfair economic benefit. The decisions made by the court are going to differ from case to case. Massachusetts has its own laws, which may vary from other states.

Alimony is also called spousal support, which is given to ensure that both spouses have sufficient money to support themselves. Especially in cases where only one of the spouses is earning, it is essential that the other one provides some support.

Alimony is awarded based on the agreement between the spouses. This is different from what we see in the division of marital property, and this does not have anything to do with child support either.

Furthermore, you need to understand that alimony is not automatic, and the court makes decisions based on each unique case. Alimony comes with a legal obligation, which means the other spouse will have to pay as per the law. Spousal support is usually seen during a divorce or separation.

The reason why this is provided is because there is a possibility that one of the spouses may give up on their career to be able to support the children and be there for them. To learn more, you can check the website.

What are the types of alimony?

There can be various different types of spousal support provided to the spouses, some of which are discussed here:

●     Rehabilitative alimony:

There is a transitional period when the court usually gives this type of alimony. The spouse who is earning low will get to go back to school or go through career training to be able to manage their financial needs once again.

This can be seen as short-term support provided to the individuals so that they can start earning on their own and be able to provide for themselves. The judge will decide for how long the support money needs to be provided.

●     Temporary alimony:

Spousal support may be provided during the process of divorce is going on. It can be done as a part of an agreement made on legal separation. This type of alimony is usually stopped when the process of divorce ends or is completed.

●     Permanent alimony:

Such a type of alimony is provided when one of the spouses cannot earn at all due to some disability or because of their age. Furthermore, if there are children in the family, then a spouse can be provided to support their needs. However, it need not be permanent. It can stop if certain situations are presented and certain conditions are met.

●     Reimbursement alimony:

When there are contributions in the marriage from the spouse, such an alimony can be used. This alimony provides money because of the spouse’s contribution to the marriage.

It can be that the spouse supported the other in paying their school expenses for career training. This alimony helps support the spouse who decided to stay at home instead of pursuing their career.

What are the factors on which the awarded money will depend?

The laws associated with alimony differ from one place to another. There are guidelines that need to be followed, and accordingly, decisions are taken:

• The age of the person, how physically well they are, and their financial situation.
• Length of time that is going to be needed for career training or to cover their school expenses.
• Standard of living when they were in the marriage.
• For how long the marriage lasted.
• How capable is the person when it comes to supporting the marriage?

A family law attorney can help!

A family law attorney can help you with advice and assistance during the divorce. You can contact lawyers through their website online and have a look at their reviews. Then, you can make a decision if you want to hire them or not. Lawyers have years of experience in guiding their clients in divorces.