Spousal Maintenance
Bob Young
Yakima Divorce Lawyer
Dobbs & Young focuses mainly on Family Law. Having served the community of Yakima for nearly 3 decades, we understand the sensitive issues of family law. Our primary goal is to help you and your family through your difficulties. We’re here to bring the best possible outcome for your family.
Representing People with Issues Related to Alimony
Spousal maintenance is commonly called alimony, and it represents a payment (from one spouse to the other post-divorce) that helps offset any financial imbalance between the two. The court recognizes that one spouse may need additional time and financial assistance to get back on his or her feet after the financial upset of divorce, and spousal maintenance is its response to this need. Discuss your spousal maintenance concerns with an experienced Yakima family law attorney today.
Determining Spousal Maintenance
The factors that the court takes into consideration when determining whether spousal maintenance is appropriate to begin with – and, if so, its amount and duration – include:
- The length of the marriage
- The standard of living the couple achieved during the course of their marriage
- Each spouse’s contribution to the marriage
- Any other factors the court deems relevant
- The age of the spouse requesting support
- The physical and emotional health of both spouses
- The non-requesting spouse’s ability to pay maintenance
- The financial obligations of both spouses
Spousal Maintenance Comes in Different Forms
Spousal maintenance can play an important role in your divorce, and the dedicated family law attorneys at Bobbs & Young in Yakima have impressive experience helping clients like you obtain favorable divorce terms that protect their financial rights.
Temporary Spousal Maintenance
Divorce can be – and often is – a lengthy, expensive process that can leave one spouse scrambling to keep up financially. As the divorce proceeds, the court may award temporary spousal maintenance to help the divorcing spouse with fewer financial means to continue meeting his or her financial obligations in the interim. Temporary maintenance remains in effect only as long as the divorce is pending and ends when the divorce is finalized.
Short-Term Spousal Maintenance
Short-term spousal maintenance is intended to help financially dependent spouses become more financially independent by allowing them the time and financial support they need to become financially self-supporting through further education. Generally, the court will set a spousal maintenance end-date (often predicated on an event, such as obtaining a college degree) – but they also tend to allow reviews regarding the extension of support before it expires.
Long-Term Maintenance
Long-term maintenance is sometimes called permanent support. While long-term support isn’t common, in certain situations, it is deemed appropriate, such as in long marriages, when age or disability likely precludes a spouse from becoming financially independent, or when there are other extenuating circumstances.
Tax Implications
As with every element of divorce, the tax implications of spousal maintenance must be factored in. Since 2019, there has been a tax-obligation reversal, and the person who pays spousal maintenance is now responsible for paying federal taxes on the income (he or she can’t deduct it from his or her taxable income). The recipient, on the other hand, is no longer required to pay income tax on the support.