Blue Bell Alimony & Spousal Support Lawyers

Alimony Attorneys Represent Clients in Spousal Support Cases

Divorce is often a difficult and emotionally-fraught affair for couples who have decided to end their relationship. Unfortunately, divorce also requires that couples sort out various practical and financial matters as part of dividing their one household into two. Marriage is both an emotional and financial partnership. When a married couple decides to go their separate ways and one spouse has a superior financial position over the other, the law may require the spouse with the higher income to provide some form of financial support to his or her former spouse after their divorce is finalized. This form of support is known as alimony.

Pennsylvania laws and rules governing alimony and spousal support can be complicated. Calculating the amount of alimony that a spouse may be entitled to often requires detailed financial analysis of the spouses’ respective positions. This can be a difficult process at a time when emotions and tensions are already high. The experienced lawyers of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C. can help you protect your interests and advocate on your behalf throughout the process of determining alimony. Although determining alimony often begins with fairly formulaic calculations, the final number is often dependent on highly subjective factors. This means that there is ample opportunity for our attorneys to advocate for an alimony order that better addresses your financial resources and needs.

Calculating Alimony and Spousal Support

Calculating alimony is a very fact-intensive process, but it does leave room for negotiation between a divorcing couple. When courts make an alimony determination, Pennsylvania law sets forth multiple factors for the court to consider in rendering its determination, such as: 

• The relative income and financial positions of the spouses
• The relative earning capacities of the spouses, which is particularly relevant if a lower-earning spouse is capable of obtaining better-paying employment after divorce
• The sources of the parties’ incomes (wages, retirement and pension benefits, insurance, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, etc.)
• The duration of the marriage
• The age and health of the spouses
• Whether one spouse financed or otherwise supported the other spouse’s education, either before or during the marriage, which allowed that spouse to increase their earning capacity
• The extent to which either party’s finances are affected by the need to care for children
• The standard of living during the marriage
• The reasonable monthly expenses of the spouses
• Any contribution by one spouse as a homemaker
• The reason for the divorce, including marital misconduct that occurred during the marriage and prior to separation

Our experienced alimony lawyers can help you understand how each of the statutory factors for determining alimony is relevant in your specific case.

Experienced Family Law Attorneys in Blue Bell Provide Dedicated Representation to Clients Seeking Alimony and Spousal Support

It is important to remember that alimony payments are usually not permanent in nature, no matter how long your marriage lasted. It is common for alimony obligations to have certain termination conditions, such as:

• The receiving spouse remarries
• The receiving spouse lives with someone in a romantic relationship
• Either spouse passes away unless the alimony order or agreement specifies that alimony will continue to be paid after the payor spouse’s death

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In addition to termination, alimony awards can be modified by the court (and, if alimony was established by an agreement if the agreement allows). Modification is usually only granted if one or both spouses experience a significant change of circumstances that is continuing in nature. These changes to circumstances may include:

• One spouse’s employment status or income has changed
• The receiving spouse remarries or begins cohabitating with a romantic partner or someone who financially supports the receiving spouse
• One spouse has a significant, reasonable, and ongoing change in their monthly expenses

Our knowledgeable, results-focused alimony attorneys in Blue Bell have the experience and resources needed to develop a persuasive argument in favor or against alimony awards, or modification of such awards, so as to protect your interests throughout the divorce process. If possible, we can also help you with mediation, which can often result in a quicker, more amicable solution to an alimony dispute than trying to have a court resolve the issue.

Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Alimony Matter with Our Blue Bell Alimony and Spousal Support Attorneys

Once you and your spouse have decided to get divorced, it is impossible for you to avoid the financial questions that arise when you must divide your household into two new households.  Difficult questions must be addressed when your family’s financial resources are already limited. Our experienced alimony attorneys will help guide you through Pennsylvania’s alimony laws and the process of obtaining or modifying an alimony order and will vigorously advocate on your behalf to ensure that you receive fair treatment. Call us or send us a message through our Contact Us page on our website today to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alimony in Blue Bell, PA