Divorce changes things. Though many women are quick to point out to me that the equitable distribution factors cite the standard of living established during the marriage, there’s often no way to maintain that standard post-divorce. Most people live up to their means, and there’s just not room in the average family’s budget to...
Spousal Support
Sometimes, I feel really technical when I talk about adultery. I say when someone “commits” adultery, and I always feel weird about it, because that’s not how people talk. And I often get questions about exactly what it means, which is understandable – it’s a technical term, like cohabitation and equitable distribution. Lawyers use it...
Spousal support cases are some of the trickiest. Even though the law has changed recently to allow Fairfax guidelines to be applied in temporary support cases, permanent support cases are a little more tricky. The law also changed in terms of the taxability and deductibility of awards of spousal support; under the current laws, spousal...
If you’re the main breadwinner in your family and you’re now headed towards divorce, you’re probably a little concerned. And—that’s probably an understatement. Financially, divorce is probably pretty terrifying to you, even if it’s something that you know you want. Spousal support is probably the biggest issue on your mind because, whether you have kids...
If you’ve been a stay at home mom or you’ve significantly reduced your hours in an effort to promote the well being of your family and you’re now headed towards divorce, you’re probably a little concerned. And—that’s probably an understatement. Financially, divorce is probably pretty terrifying to you, even if it’s something that you know...
If you’re feeling like spousal support awards really aren’t all that generous, you’re not alone. Spousal support is one of those things that, in my practice, varies widely. The law governing spousal support is far from clear, too, so even determining whether someone will receive spousal support is difficult and often convoluted. We have to...
Spousal support is probably one of the most complicated areas of divorce law. Spousal support can be established in two different ways—by agreement, or ordered by a judge. Still, it’s difficult, especially in cases where spousal support is established by agreement, because (obviously) you have to get your husband to agree. Not only that, but...
On Monday, we talked about lump sum spousal support as a way to avoid the restriction on cohabitation in spousal support cases. As you’re already aware (or you wouldn’t be here, reading this blog!), when you receive spousal support over a period of time, whether you receive it for a fixed time or permanently, your...