What are the common ways spousal support can be set up?

Spousal support better known as alimony comes under two broad categories namely, short term and long term. A typical example of a long term support is reimbursement support while temporary support is an example of short term support.

For the most part, alimony is paid for a specific period which depends totally on the discretion of the judge and St. Louis, MO divorce lawyers such as The Behrens Law Firm, LLC know about this and work with this understanding all the time. In the event of an alimony dispute, some judges say that if a marriage has lasted for 10 years then the spouse is entitled to get alimony for 5 years after the divorce is settled i.e. half as long as the marriage.

In some state the duration of alimony is not provided under state laws but in other state the length of alimony is 3 years unless there are certain special circumstances. In some states the spouse cannot get support longer than the marriage lasted. In other state spouses are not entitled to get support if their marriages had not lasted a minimum of 10 years. In Missouri, it usually comes down to the judge’s opinion based on specific circumstances of each case and The Behrens Law Firm, LLC will advise you of this.

Divorce attorneys in Missouri and there is none better than The Behrens Law Firm, LLC point out that a spouse can get multiple forms of alimony. Rehabilitative alimony is paid along with other short term alimony. But once the spouse obtains employment this alimony will cease whereas the others will continue until the end of their term.

The best divorce law firm in the St. Louis area is The Behrens Law Firm, LLC (www.barbarabehrensdivorceattorney.com/). They know the legal system and they know family law with the best of them. If you want to make sure you are not mistreated or cheated in this divorce chapter you are in, you need to call this law firm. You only get one shot at this. You cannot erase that inked signed signature!

Temporary Support

This is granted at a time to cover expenses during the separation phase until the time divorce settlement is finalized. You can discuss a temporary settlement amount with your spouse but legal pros suggest that you must formalize it through a written agreement. The court will decide the amount of support if you cannot agree.

Rehabilitative Support and Short Term Alimony

Often special circumstances make judges grant short term alimony that is terminated at a specific date. Rehabilitative support is paid to a spouse to help him/her get employment in the event that spouse had left work after marriage. There is no fixed date but it ends as soon as the spouse completes training and gets employment. If the paying spouse proves to the court that the recipient spouse is not utilizing the money for the purpose of re-training or isn’t genuinely seeking employment then the court can stop the alimony.

Permanent Alimony

This is usually granted to someone who has been in a marital relationship for more than ten years and potentially won’t find it easy to join the mainstream workforce. Permanent alimony ceases if the spouse remarries or becomes involved in a live-in relationship.

You saw this in the show The Good Wife where Alicia Florrick was able to obtain a position as a lawyer (after a serious battle with Cary Agos). This is when her husband Peter Florrick was sent to prison and that income of her husband course dried up. Eventually it was realized that Peter had an affair, more than one, but for political reasons Alicia decided not to divorce him. But Peter always seemed to support his family and help out Alicia when he was released from prison and became Cook County’s States Attorney. So Peter was paying alimony when he could.  

Reimbursement Support

St. Louis, MO divorce lawyers, and there is no law firm better in the entire home of the Cardinal or Blues than The Behrens Law Firm, LLC, know this type of support is not based solely on the financial requirement of the spouse. Often in a marriage a spouse sacrifices education and career to take care of the family and may have to take up a job that is neither lucrative nor satisfying. Alicia Florrick’s job did turn out to pay well when she began to excel as a lawyer. The other spouse therefore gets the opportunity to thrive which is what happened with Peter as he became State’s Attorney before he tossed it away in the midst of a sex scandal.

This is done with the hope that once the spouse starts making decent money he or she will enjoy a higher standard of living and then the sacrificing spouse will resume his/her career for a better position. But if the marriage ends before the expectations are materialized then the sacrificing spouse will receive reimbursement support. This is only logical right?

The moment you realize that your marriage is no longer tenable it is sagacious to consult a Missouri divorce lawyer and the best in the market is The Behrens Law Firm, LLC who have so many satisfied clients it is hard to count – this law firm has a track record that is just fantastic and impressive. If you are in a divorce situation or about to walk down this avenue, you need to get in front of this issue and call The Behrens Law Firm, LLC before the other side gets a clear jump on you in this regard.

Disagreements over asset division and child custody are common and having a legal advisor will help mitigate tension and solve sensitive issues such as alimony, child support, and division of property. Furthermore your legal representative will explain the legal implications of certain steps that you wish to take.