Alimony

If you seek alimony or spousal support during your divorce, a Connecticut alimony attorney can help you understand circumstances the court will consider. Unlike child support where minor children are involved, alimony is not always awarded.

As your Connecticut alimony attorney will counsel, alimony is also called spousal support. Spousal support can be temporary or permanent. Temporary alimony is generally aimed at rehabilitating the recipient. For example, if the husband was the primary breadwinner and the wife will now need to earn a living wage rather than a supplemental income, the court may consider awarding her alimony for a finite period of time until she can find a better job. Your Connecticut family attorney can explain when permanent alimony might be appropriate. Often, even permanent alimony will cease upon remarriage. Alimony can be awarded in monthly payments or as a lump sum, depending on the circumstances and if the parties agree to it. You may also want to consider making alimony modifiable in the event the paying spouse’s income changes.

As your Connecticut alimony attorney will likely counsel, alimony isn’t always appropriate in a divorce case. The court ultimately looks at what’s fair under the circumstances. Factors your Connecticut alimony attorney will discuss with you are:

• Length of the marriage;
• Earning capacity of the parties;
• Whether either spouse is disabled;
• Whether child support was awarded;
• Conduct of the parties;
• Other principles of fairness.