Colonial Heights Spousal Support Lawyer

While spousal support is not an issue in every divorce, it is an important factor in some cases. If you are entitled to spousal support or are potentially facing a spousal support order, you must consider your financial rights and should seek guidance from an attorney. It is important that you understand what spousal support involves. An experienced Colonial Heights spousal support lawyer from Capital Family & Divorce Law Group could explain the legal process and answer your questions.

When Does a Divorce Involve Spousal Support?

Each case’s unique factors determine what spousal support is ordered. There is no guarantee that every divorce case will involve spousal support. The support calculations process aims to ensure that both spouses can continue to meet their financial responsibilities and needs subsequent to the divorce.

Spousal support will ideally help the spouse who receives it maintain a living standard that is not much lower than the one they had during the marriage. Several factors determine the maintenance given, which include:

The income disparity between the two spouses
Financial sacrifices made by the recipient during the marriage, such as staying at home to care for children in support of their partner’s career
Differences in overall earning power between the two spouses
Marketability factors

An experienced attorney from Colonial Heights could explain how these matters could influence spousal support.

What Factors Are Considered in Spousal Support Cases?

The court considers a wide range of factors when making a spousal support determination. The most important ones include:

The marriage’s length
Each spouse’s earning capacity
Each spouse’s separate estate and the marital estate’s size
The living standard the couple achieved during their marriage
The marital contributions each spouse made, including in relation to homemaking and childcare provision
Each spouse’s employment opportunities in relation to their location, marketability, and the economy
Either spouse’s contributions to bolstering the other’s career and earning power
Each spouse’s age and overall mental and physical health
Any extraordinary factors that apply, such as being the primary caregiver for a mutual child who has special needs
Whether domestic violence, sometimes known as family abuse, played a role in the marriage’s dissolution
Whether the divorce is based on any other wrongdoing, such as adultery or abandonment
Whether or not there is a legally binding prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place that directly addresses spousal support

A Colonial Heights lawyer could prepare individuals for the spousal support consideration process.

Whether Spousal Support Is Temporary or Permanent

Spousal support is often set for a specific time period. Sometimes, however, no end date applies. While ongoing spousal support is often called permanent alimony, it is important to note that the court has the discretion to modify or even terminate such orders at any point, based on changes in circumstance.

If the person receiving permanent spousal support overcomes their financial hurdles and is no longer financially unstable, the court may modify or terminatel their spousal support. If, however, the end date for spousal support is quickly approaching but the recipient’s good faith efforts have not led to greater financial independence, the court could extend the duration of their financial assistance. Spousal support can also terminate upon a remarriage, either party’s death, or habitual cohabitation with another in a relationship analogous to marriage for a period of a year or more. A Colonial Heights attorney could help individuals looking to extend the period for which they receive spousal support.

Cheating

In Colonial Heights, as a lawyer could explain, a spouse who engaged in an adulterous affair during the marriage is generally barred from receiving spousal support. Although spousal support is based on financial need, even a spouse who otherwise qualifies can be denied spousal support if their former partner can prove they cheated, unless the denial of spousal support would result in a “manifest injustice.”

Remarriage

When spousal support is ordered, the decision is not permanent and unchangeable. A judge can enforce modifications to the spousal support if significant and relevant life changes occur, such as when someone receiving spousal support remarries. This is a primary reason behind the spousal support termination cases that Colonial Heights lawyers undertake.

Contact an Experienced Colonial Heights Attorney To Discuss Spousal Support

A capable Colonial Heights spousal support lawyer from Capital Family & Divorce Law Group recognizes the financial impact spousal support has and could implement their extensive legal skills to fiercely advocate for your financial rights. You and your case matter. Do not hesitate to contact our firm, by phone or online, for more information. Our team of lawyers is ready to protect your financial and parental rights.