The breakdown of your marriage upsets the balance of your finances. If you rely on your ex for your monetary needs, a divorce can create a significant financial burden.
Vermont’s spousal maintenance, also referred to as alimony, may provide relief by ordering one spouse to make payments to the other. Your right to receive funds hinges on specific conditions.
How is spousal maintenance determined?
The court tries to settle financial concerns by considering all applicable circumstances. Before making a final decision, they often contemplate the following points:
- What makes you qualified for alimony?
You may receive spousal maintenance if you do not have enough resources, like income or assets, to bear the expenses of your reasonable needs. In this context, reasonable needs mean sensible demands as determined by your marriage’s standard of living.
Another requirement is if, despite working, you still cannot make ends meet for yourself or your child, who lives with you.
- Which kind of payments can I get?
Spousal maintenance may either be compensatory or rehabilitative. Compensatory or long-term maintenance may apply if you have been the homemaker for the longest time. It is also relevant if your current wage is substantially far from what your ex earns, making it impossible to retain the lifestyle you had in the marriage.
Conversely, rehabilitative or short-term maintenance sustains you for the time being, while you undergo training or education for a return to work.
- How much and how long will the payments last?
The extensive factors determining the amount and duration may be straightforward or complex, depending on your unique issues. Some deciding factors include your marriage’s length, both of your ages, overall well-being and earning capacities, necessary adjustments due to inflation and the ability of your ex to make payments.
How can you tip the financial balance?
Your financial hardships resulting from your divorce should not entirely define you. Instead, the lessons you learned from your past and your choices moving forward can be building blocks for stabilizing your finances. Surrounding yourself with a support system, including legal counsel, can guide you to the best options for your future.
