Alimony

Alimony in NY and in NJ

Alimony is also sometimes called spousal support. It’s designed to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses over and above the money provided by child support. Alimony is different from child support. Where child support is a simple mathematical calculation using guidelines published by your state, alimony is much more negotiable. There are several factors that come into play when it comes to alimony, which usually involve the following:

1. The actual need and ability of the parties to pay.
2. The duration of the marriage.
3. The age, physical and emotional health of the parties.
4. The standard of living established during the marriage and the likelihood that each party can maintain a reasonable comparable standard of living.
5. The parties’ earning capability, education and employability.
6. The length of absence from the job market.
7. Parental responsibilities for the children.
8. The time and expense needed to acquire education or training to enable a depended spouse to obtain appropriate employment.
9. The financial and non-financial contributions of each spouse to the marriage.
10. Equitable distribution.
11. Income available and non-financial contributions of each spouse to the marriage.
12. The tax consequences of alimony.
13. Any other factor which the court deems relevant.

In summary, the main purpose of alimony is to permit the dependent spouse to live the same lifestyle after divorce that she lived during the marriage.

Together we will discuss and determine the details of alimony payments, if you seek any. Remember, mediated agreements have a significantly higher rate of compliance, as they were negotiated and decided upon by the couple rather than by than by the court or an external entity.