Alimony Attorney in Dallas
Skilled Lawyer Fighting for Your Needs
When going through a divorce, alimony refers to the court-ordered financial support of one ex-spouse to the other. Alimony, sometimes called spousal maintenance, is designed to help the lower wage earning spouse get back on their feet, not necessarily support them indefinitely. To qualify for this, one usually must prove they do not have the ability to sustain themselves through the divorce process. This may occur because they are a stay-at-home parent and do not currently have a job, they or their child has a disability, or they have been married for ten years or more and cannot maintain the same standard of living. Our Dallas alimony lawyer has the skill you need to help you reach your goals.
Understanding Spousal Support
Depending on how long your marriage was, spousal support can last for up to either five, seven, or ten years. Each monthly payment can be around $5000 or up to 20% of the paying spouse’s income.
Factors that play into the calculation of alimony include:
- The property each brought into the marriage
- Community property usage
- Any instructions in a pre-marital agreement
- Child support necessities
- Financial resources of each spouse
- The extent of medical issues or disabilities
- Patterns of abuse or violence
- Incidents of adultery
Alimony vs. Contractual Alimony
Alimony is support given from one spouse to the other to help them during the divorce process and is mandated by the court. Contractual alimony, on the other hand, may be agreed upon by the two individuals. It helps the spouse receiving the money because they are receiving an income and it is a benefit to the payer because it is usually tax deductible.
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You can trust our attorney in Dallas to put your needs first. Call us at (214) 273-6959.