Columbia Alimony Attorneys
When you go through a divorce, you or your ex-spouse may ask for alimony. This legal obligation would require that you or your ex-spouse provide monthly payments to the other in order to provide financial support. If you’re seeking alimony in Columbia, or want to avoid having to pay it, you need an experienced family lawyer to fight for you.
Why Does Alimony Exist?
Alimony exists to provide both people in the relationship with the same standard of living after the marriage has ended. For example, if one partner made most or all of the money during the marriage, their partner probably relied on their income for a certain living standard. Alimony helps the dependent partner continue the lifestyle they had when they were married.
Types of Alimony
In Maryland, there are three types of alimony: pendente lite, rehabilitative, and indefinite.
Pendente lite- This type of alimony is awarded to a spouse for financial support throughout the divorce process. Even though this doesn’t guarantee alimony once the divorce has been finalized, it still allows the spouse to maintain the same standard of living during the divorce.
Rehabilitative- This is the most common alimony that is awarded in Maryland. This is only awarded for a certain period of time and the time frame will vary based on your circumstances. This is awarded to help an ex-spouse gradually become self-sufficient.
Indefinite- As that name states, this type of alimony is a lifetime of monthly payments to the ex-spouse. This can be awarded due to an ex-spouse’s age, disability, or lifetime illness that doesn’t allow them to sufficiently support themselves or maintain a relatively equal way of living as the ex-spouse. In the future, the alimony payments can be changed or modified.
How is Alimony Determined?
There are several factors that the court will take into consideration when deciding to grant alimony. Some of these factors include:
- Length of marriage
- The reason for divorce
- Age
- Physical and mental health
- The spouse’s past, present, and future financial situation
You Need a Family Lawyer on Your Side
When dealing with alimony agreements, you need a Columbia family lawyer that will fight for you. At Albers & Associates, our team of experienced family lawyers is ready to help you any way we during your divorce proceedings. Call us today to set up your free consultation.