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How is fair alimony calculated?

On Behalf of | Oct 6, 2017 | Divorce

If you are divorcing your spouse amicably, it is ideal if you can mutually decide on as many decisions as possible together. This can range from the dividing of the house and other assets, to child visitation, support and alimony. The more that you can decide together, the better coparents you will be and there will be less chance of resentment in your relationship.

If you decide that you want to determine the terms of your alimony together, you need to start by sitting down and weighing in on all of the factors that come into play. When courts calculate alimony payments, not only do they base the ruling on the income of the breadwinner, but they take into account the other spouse’s future ability to earn money.

If the person that is not the main breadwinner will experience a much lower quality of life as a result of the divorce without the aid of alimony, you might both consider that it’s fair to have higher alimony payments, if not for yourselves then for the quality of life of your children. However, if the non-breadwinner is hoping to get a job to support oneself as a result of the divorce, high alimony payments may not be necessary.

Other factors that may come into play include your ages, health, and even marital fault. If you would like to seek assistance in your alimony calculations, a legal advisor can help you work through the proceedings. Even if you work out the details together as a divorcing couple, it is always best to run agreements through with an attorney.

Source: Family Education, “Deciding Alimony,” accessed Oct. 06, 2017