Alimony Attorney

Annapolis Maryland Alimony (Spousal Support) Attorney

Alimony or spousal support is a payment to the other spouse.  This payment can be court ordered or voluntarily made.   There are no official guidelines for alimony, but many factors impact the amount and duration of alimony that a spouse receives.     The factors include, but are not limited to, ability of the party seeking alimony to become self-supporting; the time required for the party seeking alimony to become self-sufficient, the standard of living established during the marriage, the duration of the marriage, contributions, both monetary and non-monetary, made during the marriage, facts and circumstances leading the to the dissolution of the marriage, age, and health of the parties, income and assets, marital award and any other factor that the court deems relevant.

In the State of Maryland there are three types of alimony; pendente lite, permanent and rehabilitative. Pendente Lite (pending litigation) alimony is after a separation but before a divorce is final. Rehabilitative alimony is alimony that is paid for a set period of time to allow the dependent spouse to “rehabilitate” him or herself in terms of reentering the workforce or returning to school to enable him/her to be self-sufficient.  The last type of alimony is permanent.  This type of alimony is not often awarded, unless exigent circumstances exist. 

Remarriage, disability, unemployment, and other life events can affect alimony and/or a modification of alimony.

 

Types Of Alimony

In the State of Maryland, there are a few different types of alimony (spousal support) that can be granted by the courts.

• Permanent spousal support
• Rehabilitative support for job training or school
• Pendente Lite (pending litigation)

Determining alimony is not subject to any specific mathematical formula. Instead, there are several factors considered by the Court in determining the appropriate alimony award. Each judge may interpret them differently based on the following factors:

• The ability of the party seeking alimony to be wholly or partially self-supporting
• The time required for the party seeking alimony to gain sufficient education or training to enable that party to be self-supporting
• The standard of living of the parties established during the marriage
• The duration of the marriage
• The contributions, monetary and non-monetary, of each party to the well-being of the family
• The facts and circumstances leading to the dissolution of the marriage
• The age, physical and mental condition of the parties
• The ability of the party from whom alimony is sought to meet his or her needs while meeting those of the party seeking alimony
• All income and assets, including non-income producing property
• Any marital property award
• Such other factors as the court deems it necessary or appropriate to consider in order to arrive at a fair and equitable award of alimony

 

Alimony Termination / Modification

There are several factors that will impact alimony. If the party that receives alimony gets married once again, then the spousal support from the previous marriage may terminate. Also if either of the spouses dies, the alimony allowance will terminate. And last, a change in the circumstances for either spouse may be grounds to ask the courts for the modification of the existing court order.

 

Call For An Appointment

Having a well qualified attorney represent you can mean the world of a difference in the courtroom. At the Law Office of Charlotte K. Weinstein, we devote the majority of our practice to matters involving alimony and spousal support. We will listen to your needs to better understand your situation, inform you of your options and make sure your rights are protected. Call Charlotte K. Weinstein today at (410) 263-6301 to schedule a consultation to discuss your case.