When people get divorced in Pennsylvania, they may wonder how they will support themselves if the other spouse was the breadwinner. In this situation, a court may award alimony so people can continue their current standard of living.
Before someone receives alimony, numerous factors are usually considered. FindLaw says that a court typically considers how long a couple was married and the standard of living they maintained. The education someone might need to get a new job is also a factor, and each spouse’s physical condition and age are also taken into account. All of these factors help a court determine how much alimony one of the spouses should receive each month. While some people may think that a wife might automatically receive alimony, this is not always the case. A woman might sometimes need to make these payments if she was the primary wage earner.
p>Once alimony has been established, this payment typically needs to be made each month. According to Marriage.com, alimony payments are generally made for several years. The ex-spouse making these payments usually continues to pay alimony until any children have grown up or until the other spouse remarries. In some situations, someone may stop making these payments if the other spouse has not attempted to become self-sufficient.
Alimony may not be awarded in every divorce. Most of the time, this financial support is considered necessary if one spouse chose to stay at home with the children or gave up some opportunities so the breadwinner could pursue his or her career. Alimony may also be awarded if a couple was married for a long time.
For more information, contact Louis Wm. Martini, attorney at law.