When a couple goes through divorce, the court has the option to require that one party pays alimony to the other party. Alimony, also known as spousal maintenance, typically allows the less monied spouse in the marriage to maintain a similar quality of life to the one they lived before the divorce. Of course, the spouse that is required to make spousal maintenance payments often isn’t thrilled about having to do so and may wonder how long they are obligated to pay spousal maintenance.
When making a decision on how long the spousal maintenance obligation should last, one of the most important factors that the court will consider is how long the marriage lasted. That being said, the longer the marriage, the longer the spousal maintenance obligation. If one of the spouses primarily stayed at home to raise a family during the marriage, they may not have many viable career options if the divorce happens closer to retirement age when starting a new career may be difficult. In these cases, the court may require the more-monied spouse to pay spousal maintenance for longer than a person in a different situation. Shorter spousal maintenance requirements may be issued if one spouse just needs financial support while they finish up schooling to start a new career.
If you have questions about spousal maintenance obligations, contact our firm today.
If you require experienced legal representation for any of your divorce and family law matters, contact the Law Offices of Mark S. Paige, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.
