Bergen County Alimony Lawyers
Alimony Solutions That Will Fit Your Needs
Many divorcing couples have legitimate concerns about their financial stability. Since alimony can have a long-term effect on one’s quality of life post-divorce, it is understandable that spousal support is one of the more contentious issues during divorce proceedings.
Tackling financial issues during divorce can be a daunting and intimidating task. For older couples leaving lengthy marriages, starting over is often fraught with fear and uncertainty regarding their financial future and stability.
When it comes to your financial future, you need a knowledgeable, compassionate, and empathetic Bergen County alimony lawyer on your side. The legal team at TMO Law LLC will be your most valuable ally, providing sound legal guidance to help you make informed decisions and be a source of support when you need it the most. Together, we can build your best future.
What Is Alimony?
Legally known as spousal support, alimony refers to financial payments one spouse pays to the lower-earning spouse during or after a divorce to maintain a similar standard of living as experienced during the marriage. Alimony is neither automatic nor permanent in New Jersey, and not all spouses are eligible. Despite this, alimony is often one of the most contested requests during a divorce.
The state has three types of spousal support structures:
- Limited duration alimony: This allows spouses who have earned less in the marriage enough time to build their standard of living. If the marriage lasted less than 20 years, the duration period cannot last longer than the marriage.
- Rehabilitative alimony: Similar to limited duration alimony, this is applied in cases where spouses earned less because they were responsible for caregiving, child-raising, or another role just as valuable to the marriage as a career.
- Reimbursement alimony: This alimony reimburses one spouse who paid for the other spouse’s career-related education or training during the marriage.
How Is Alimony Determined?
Each marriage is different, and New Jersey courts consider several different factors when determining if alimony is granted and the amount awarded, including but not limited to:
- Length of the marriage
- Standard of living during the marriage
- Equitable property distribution
- The number of years the spouse seeking alimony was unemployed
- Job training costs and duration
- Each spouse’s:
- Age and health condition
- Current income and future earning capacity
- Financial history and contributions during the marriage
- Investment income
- Necessity of alimony or ability to pay
- Level of parenting responsibility
- Any other relevant factors
Modifications may be considered if one spouse experiences a significant change in circumstances or an assumed event did not occur.
Every marriage is different. A spousal support plan should consider everything.