Getting divorced is probably not what you thought would happen when you got married; however, things change and divorces happen. As you begin going through the divorce process, you may be concerned with how you will support yourself after the divorce is final, especially if you were not the main provider in the household. If you qualify, you might be able to get a judge to order your spouse to pay you spousal support after the divorce, which could help you pay your bills.
What Is Spousal Support?
When a couple gets divorced, there are several types of support payments that one might have to pay another. The most common type is child support, which is designed to help the custodial parent pay for raising the kids, and it is paid by the non-custodial parent. Child support is almost always a requirement with divorces that involve couples with children.
The other common type of support is called spousal support, and this type of support is not always present in divorces. Spousal support is not designed to help pay for kids, but it is designed rather to help one of the spouses survive financially after divorce. It is also designed to help one spouse maintain a certain standard of living after a divorce.
Receiving spousal support is not limited only to women. If you are a man, you may also be able to qualify for payments from your wife.
Will You Qualify?
You are probably wondering whether or not you would qualify for this, and your lawyer can help you determine the answer to this. Receiving spousal support is not an automatic thing that happens in a divorce, and there are many times when spouses do not even ask for it. There are also times when spouses ask for it and are denied by the judge.
To determine if you could qualify for it, your lawyer might ask you about the income differences between you and your spouse. If your spouse makes significantly more than you make, you might have a better chance of qualifying. This is one of the most important factors that must be present; however, there are other factors that lawyers and judges also look for.
If your lawyer believes that you might be entitled to this, he or she can make this request to the judge handling the case. If the judge agrees, a worksheet is filled out to determine how much the spousal support payments will be. Keep in mind that spousal support payments usually cease at some point in time, but there must be a court order for this to happen.
Surviving financially after a divorce can be difficult for a spouse that was not the primary breadwinner of the family. If you can relate and feel that you need spousal support, talk to Wise Scheible Barkauskas about this.
Share24 April 2015
The laws governing child custody and guardianship can be confusing. As a family attorney, I have helped many clients gain legal guardianship over a foster child or a relative's child. Getting legal guardianship of a child you are caring for is important because you need to be able to make decisions about that child's education, health care and other matters. This blog will help you navigate the world of legal guardianship and show you how to take steps to get guardianship over a child whether the child's parents are cooperative or not. Legal guardianship does matter even if a child is not going to be adopted. I hope to help people find the way to get this done.
