Panel to Determine Alimony Awards in West Virginia

Determining alimony in West Virginia has long been the purview of the court system. This could all change if a new committee appointed to review alimony payments decides to change the system.

Earlier this month the state's Supreme Court appointed a 10-member committee to review the process of allotting alimony in West Virginia. The committee will ultimately decide whether to allow judges to continue deciding how much alimony should be granted on a case-by-case basis, or whether a system should be put in place that involves a precise formula.

Although there is little data regarding alimony specifically for their state, the panel may look at statistics such as those released by the Internal Revenue Service. For example, $9.8 billion is paid out in alimony each year in America; this breaks down to an average yearly payment of $17,300 per person. As with other states that are turning their focus to alimony payments, the committee could ultimately decide the fate of alimony payments for future divorce cases.

If you hope to get alimony after your divorce, you'll want to enlist the help of a family lawyer who has worked on prior spousal support cases.