Maintenance Payments Paid By Both Men And Women

In the process of a Florida divorce, maintenance payments, commonly known as alimony, could be part of the negotiation process or court award. Alimony are payments made by one spouse to the other after the divorce is finalized. While these support payments are sometimes thought of as men paying their ex-wives, the reality is that both men and women can be required to make alimony payments.

The assessment on if maintenance payments will need to be made happens based on income and assets, not gender. Both spouses’ resources will be reviewed before a determination can be made. If you believe you should be receiving alimony or if your spouse is pursuing maintenance payments and you do not believe you should be responsible for providing that spousal support, connect with a Tampa family lawyer.

Gender Is Not a Factor in Determining Alimony

Alimony is gender-neutral, which means that both men and women can be required to pay alimony to their ex-spouse. You may notice watching old movies or talking to people who divorced in decades past that alimony, at one time, was associated with men paying their ex-wives. But times have changed. And now, more than ever, women are earning high salaries and they, not their husbands, are the main breadwinners of a family. Because of this shift, there has been an increase in women paying alimony to their ex-husbands.

When determining whether alimony is appropriate, the court will look at both spouses’ income and assets. So, if you are drafting a divorce agreement, you need to be sure it will be approved and finalized by a Florida court. How much each spouse earns, what their assets are, and how much they owe in debts will be reviewed. Additionally, how long the couple was married, the age and health of each spouse, and the standard of living during the marriage will be looked at. Other factors, such as if one spouse stayed home to care for the children or support the other spouse’s career, could also be taken into account.

Higher Earners May Need to Make Spousal Payments

Alimony is typically awarded when one spouse earns significantly more than the other. Which makes sense, because often the purpose of alimony is to ensure that the lower-earning spouse can maintain a similar standard of living after the divorce.

How long the alimony will continue depends on the specific circumstances of the case, both temporary and permanent are possible. A Tampa family lawyer can help you determine whether alimony is appropriate and, if so, how much. The lawyer can also help the person negotiate with their spouse’s lawyer and work towards a fair and reasonable alimony arrangement.

Who will be eligible for alimony? Both men and women can be required to make alimony payments. To learn if you could receive spousal support or if you want to keep the spousal maintenance payment you will be required to pay low, speak to the legal team at Blair H. Chan, III. Call 813-280-5301 to schedule a consultation.