DWS Law
Dittmer, Wagoner & Steele LLC.

Call Us Today: 614-800-2400

Caring And Courteous Attorneys Committed To Resolve Your Issue
2023 U.S News "Best Law Firms"
Tier 1 in Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers | Rising Stars

Caring And Courteous Attorneys Committed To Resolve Your Issue

  • Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers | Rising Stars

Spousal support isn’t a penalty, it’s a necessary evil

On Behalf of | Jun 13, 2019 | Divorce

Spousal support is an essential part of many people’s divorces. Without this support, there is a probability that many ex-spouses would struggle to make ends meet or would not have what they need financially to help them go back to school or look for a job.

Spousal support is all about being fair. While some people argue that it’s not fair to continue being linked to someone who you were married to in the past, spousal support isn’t an arbitrary penalty of any kind. In fact, it’s designed to make sure that the lower-paid or lower-earning spouse has enough money to make ends meet until they can reach a point where they are self-sustainable.

Is spousal support permanent?

There are some cases where older individuals may end up with permanent alimony, but it’s rare. Instead, the likelihood is that any alimony you receive or are ordered to pay will be limited to a few months or years. The amount of time the support lasts is dependent on a few factors including how long you were married and the needs of the lower-earning spouse.

What happens if you don’t want to pay support?

There may be a possibility for the divorce to end without spousal support and for the lower-earning spouse to still have what they need moving forward. This could be done through a single lump sum payment for a larger portion of the marital assets, for example.

Your attorney can talk to you more if you want to receive support but aren’t sure on how to move forward with your negotiations.