Do You Know if You Are Entitled to Spousal Support? By Jannelle Zawaideh At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Spousal support can also be known as alimony. It is a monthly payment usually awarded after divorce proceedings for people who don’t earn a wage or who are on a low income.

There is a misconception surrounding spousal support in which people seem to be under the impression that spousal support is something that all couples are entitled to after a divorce procedure when in reality only about 10% to 15% of divorced couples are entitled to spousal support.

Courts may order either the husband or wife to pay spousal support but more often than not it is usually the husband that is required to pay. The reason that spousal support laws came about in the United States is so that a divorced spouse won’t suffer a decrease in their standard of living. This is because if a spouse has been out of the workforce for a long period of time or they have no training then they may find it difficult or even impossible to quickly attain a job/professional position that would allow them to maintain the standard of living that they may have had while they were married.

Spousal support or alimony is only usually awarded when you are going through a divorce procedure but in certain circumstances, such as if adultery was committed on your behalf, your chance of successfully gaining spousal support is gone.

One aspect that always caused confusion when it comes to spousal support is how long you will be paying this support for. Factually there are two types of spousal support or alimony; temporary or permanent; however permanent cases of it are rare and only usually exist if a spouse is ill and requires on going treatment, which the spousal support will pay for. In many cases of spousal support the payments usually last until the spouse has attained the education, training or job skills needed to establish a career. Other factors that will stop the payments of spousal support include if the spouse receiving the monthly alimony payments re-marries, this is because the responsibility to ensure the living standards are passed onto your ex’s new husband or wife. Another more obvious cause of spousal support payments stopping is if your spouse sadly passes away.

More information surrounding spousal support/alimony payments can be found within the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act, which recommends that courts consider the factors that I have previously mentioned as well as the following points when they are making their decisions about spousal support:

• The age, physical condition, emotional state, and financial condition of the former spouses

• The length of time the person receiving the spousal support would need for education or training to become self-sufficient

• The couple's standard of living during the marriage

• The length of the marriage

• The ability of the person paying the spousal support to look after themselves and the recipient

The amount of money that is paid during this spousal support depends on the need and ability to pay it. Basically you will have to pay spousal support to ensure that your spouse has enough money to lead the same lifestyle that had before the divorce.

For additional information about all aspects of spousal support/alimony you should contact an attorney today, who will be able to help you with all your spousal support questions and queries.

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