Alimony or spousal support is the amount of money you get from your partner after the divorce is finalized. You usually need a family attorney to properly negotiate alimony. Here are the eligibility criteria for someone who is qualified for alimony.
You Are Dependent On Your Spouse
The first reason why you will need alimony from your spouse, even after divorce, is the fact that you are financially dependent on your spouse and it was the way even when you guys were married.
Typically, couples who are working independently, will not request alimony, but for some people who are not working after marriage or are making ends meet with just one salary, and that comes from one spouse, then you are dependent on that person for the provision of your needs and other things.
You Don’t Currently Have A Job
A lot of the time, there are people who can’t resume their job after marriage. Whether it be moving to another city or state, or the responsibility of children is too much to juggle with the stress of a job, people will quit after marriage, especially if their spouse is earning well enough to provide for the whole family.
If you don’t have a job at the time of divorce filing and your spouse was the main provider for you for the duration of the marriage, then you can request alimony and the judge will get to work on evaluating the finances of your spouse.
Your Current Income Is Not Enough
Let’s say you have a job, but it doesn’t pay well, because it’s part-time or you’re just getting by, then you are also eligible to request alimony from your spouse. Divorces are no joke and they can take a huge financial toll on you and the job you’re currently doing is not enough to make ends meet.
The judge will take your request into account and work on the finances in the best way possible to give relief to everyone involved. Alimony is a lifesaver for someone who doesn’t have a lot to get by, financially.
You Have Children To Take Care Of
If you have the custody of children or simply have an agreement that the children will stay with you, regardless of your financial situation, then you can request a higher amount of alimony from the spouse.
This is usually very rare, since custody of children is given to the partner who has a more stable financial situation, but if, for some reason, the spouse with the lower income has children, then they can request spousal support if they’re not getting it already from their partner. In these cases, the custody will be granted to the partner with the higher income, eventually.
One Of You Has A Better Job
This is also another important point to consider when requesting alimony. If your spouse has a better-paying job than you and has a good education, then the judge is able to make a solid prediction on how the finances will grow as time goes on, and on that basis, an alimony amount is set for the spouse with the lower income or who’s at a disadvantage in this case.
If your spouse is a doctor or a successful business owner, and you, on the other hand, are just a high school graduate, then you are obviously getting the shorter end of the stick and are eligible for alimony.
You Didn’t Pursue Higher Education
This is also another reason why you are at a financial disadvantage. If you didn’t receive higher education because you got married and there was too much responsibility, then you are obviously the one who’s going to face difficulties when it comes to finances.
You can apply for a request for spousal support, in this case, after providing proof that you didn’t go any further in education, which is why you can’t hold a job or get low wages and part-time jobs.
Conclusion
There you have it! Alimony is important for the sustainability of the other person after the divorce and if children are involved, then child support should also be requested. Hire a divorce lawyer Fairfax VA who can fight your case efficiently.
