Asking for Alimony

Thinking about filing for divorce? If so, you need to understand what alimony is and whether you should ask your partner for it.

Alimony, also referred to as spousal support, is a certain amount of money that is given by one spouse to the lower-income spouse. While alimony is not granted in all divorce cases, there are circumstances that most courts recognize as requiring alimony. This amount of money is exclusive of child support if children are involved in the divorce.

While alimony used to be granted more widely, most states have started to cut down on agreeing to spousal support in divorce cases. Depending on what state you call home, there may even be certain laws regarding alimony as well as formulas that judges use to determine how much can be granted. In most cases, alimony is given to couples whose marriages have lasted longer than ten years, to spouses that are physically unable to work or who spent a lifetime at home raising children.

To get answers to your alimony questions, take the time to meet with a family law attorney in your state of residence.