March 22, 2008

Lets talk about Alimony

Alimony, also called maintenance in some states, is money paid by one spouse to the other after a divorce for the purpose of support. Husbands as well as wives are sometimes responsible for alimony. If you mention the word "alimony" it often sets off strong emotional responses. In the past, before so many women worked outside the home, the husband was the one who paid, and he paid more if he was at fault in the divorce. Sometimes, if the wife was at fault, she was not granted alimony. At the present time, a very small percentage of divorces or separations even involve the payment of alimony; of those that do, an even smaller number receive alimony for more than a brief period of time. Fault is no longer a factor in granting or limiting alimony in more than half of the states. Ask your mediator about the alimony situation in your state. Permanent alimony is a term generally reserved for an elderly, unskilled spouse who's been married for many years, or the spouse of a wealthy person who would be totally unable to maintain the standard of living the wealthy spouse had been providing. If you successfully negotiate for any alimony, it will probably be for a specific period of time so that you can develop a way to earn a satisfactory living or qualify for a promotion. The other option is to get temporary alimony, which is intended to compensate you for time spent in the past helping your spouse with his or her business or career, or in some circumstances, for time you will spend without full-time employment until your child reaches a certain age. You will need to negotiate about whether you will receive any payments, and if so, how much and for how long. You will want to be sure there is enough money available, in accordance with the child support guidelines, for child support and child-related expenses before alimony is negotiated. Then the income and expenses of both you and your spouse must be considered to determine if alimony is appropriate. Take a realistic look at your personal financial situation, have a complete physical examination, and try to make the best possible assessment of your present and future needs, especially with regard to when and under what circumstances you become self-sufficient. These considerations will help you negotiate for an appropriate amount of alimony. I personally didnt ask to for it, but it was offered by the judge at which point, I waived it. As long as you are perfecty capable of supporting yourself, I think its unnecessary to request it. However, if you're married to a millionaire, I say go for it!!

6 comments:

Addicted to crafting said...

I agree with you. ;)

Emmyrose said...

I hope we have a divorce here in our country..

Happy Easter!

Anonymous said...

I have a question for men&women who are divorcing a millionaire spouse and are thinking of requesting permanent alimony to "maintain the level of lifestyle to which you are accustomed to". After the divorce will you be continuing to provide the companionship/services that your millionaire soon-to-be-ex is also "accustomed to" receiving from you?

If the answer is Yes, then I say go for it, ask for permanent Alimony. If the answer is No, then I say something is wrong here.

ALIMONY said...

MY WIFE SAID TO ME ON A DRIVE BACK TO THE HOUSE AND SAID " HONEY I WILL BE RIGHT BACK I AM GOING TO THE STORE SWEETEE " AS I WALKED IN TO OUR HOUSE AFTER 35 YEARS OG MARRIAGE THE HOUSE WAS EMPTY AND NO PLACE TO SIT DOWN BU A DEAR JOHN LETTER . I NOW GET ALIMONY FTER HER MISTAKE BY HER HAVING A LOVE AFFAIR FOR 2 YEARS A THAT SHE BOUGHT ANOTHER HOUSE 2 MONTHS BEFORE SHE LEFT ME AND ALSO I AM DISABLED . NOW EVEN THOUGH A STATE SUPREME COURT JUDGE AWARDED ME ALIMONY HE ASKED HER " DO YOU HAVE ANY THING TO SAY " SHE REPLIED " WELL YOUR HONOR I WAS PAYING SOME MONEY BEFORE " THE JUDGE THEN LOOKED AT ME AND ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING I SAID " WELL IN DO RESPECT TO THE COURT - THE JUDGE - HER LAWYER AND EVERY ONE IN THIS COURT ROOM LUNCH IS ON ME " !! she pays me $800 per month and $20,000 back on for lawyers fees for me and arrears FROM NUNZIO BAGLIERE OF SYRACUSE N.Y. E MAIL NUNZIO61@VERIZON.NET

Lori said...
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Lori said...

Yep, it goes both ways. You made me laugh...the whole courtroom thing was pretty funny. That just goes to show...Karma is a bitch. You leave someone before you hook up with someone else. Dont go behind peoples backs. It just isnt right. Be man or woman enough to stand behind your decision but let the other person in on it. And to answer the anonymous statement above, Ive never married a rich man so I couldnt answer that nor have I asked for alimony. I would imagine if you're rich, you should sign a prenup or be prepared to share your wealth.