When New Jersey couples decide to end their marriage, they might not be leaving on equal footing. In some marriages, one party could be earning significantly less than the other or even nothing at all when the marriage ends. However, there is an option for financial support or alimony, that might help even out the situation.
Defining alimony
Alimony is support awarded during a divorce. It might be ordered by the court after one party requests it or it might be the result of an agreement between the parties after negotiations. It might be temporary or permanent, depending on the circumstances, and it is usually only awarded when marriages have lasted for a long duration. The goal of alimony is to help both spouses maintain as close as possible a living standard as that enjoyed by them before the divorce.
Types of alimony
There are four types of spousal support. These include:
- Separate maintenance alimony, which is spousal support agreed to by the spouses or ordered by the court even if they have not filed a divorce petition and is usually awarded when the spouses have ceased to live together
- Temporary alimony awarded during the divorce process, which can end or be replaced by a different type of alimony when the divorce is finalized
- Rehabilitative alimony, which is alimony awarded by the court to support a spouse while they look for a job or a better job to support themselves after a divorce
- Reimbursement alimony is support awarded to a spouse who has helped the other spouse achieve their higher income and is usually awarded soon after the spouse’s help has taken place
While some alimony might be permanent, unless the receiving spouse remarried or dies, most alimony is temporary. You might also receive it in periodic payments or in one lump sum, so figure out what might work best for you financially.