Divorce can be financially difficult for some spouses. The purpose of alimony is to provide financial security for one spouse after a divorce. There are requirements to receive alimony in Utah. Your spouse must be financially stable enough to receive alimony payments. As spousal support (also known as alimony) is not discriminatory based on gender in the state of Utah, either spouse can ask for it during a divorce.
It is advisable to consult with an experienced Sandy divorce attorney if you need specific answers about your legal options.
When determining alimony, what considerations are made?
The following considerations are taken into account by Utah courts when determining alimony:
Number of years married
- income potential of each partner
- Dependent Spouse’s Current Economic Situation and Their Requirements
- The ability of the supporting spouse to pay spousal support without jeopardizing his or her own financial stability
The degree to which the supported spouse helped the supporting spouse get an education or a career during their marriage
Whether or whether the supported spouse worked for the business of the provider.
Children whose custodial parent receives assistance are entitled to child support from the custodial parent.
A spouse’s marital wrongdoing may also be taken into account by the court when deciding whether or not to award alimony. When making these sorts of determinations, the courts in Utah do consider a fault. Those at fault may have engaged in adultery, violence, or substance misuse. Alimony cannot be used as a form of punishment for a bad spouse, therefore blame is only taken into account in certain situations.
The length of alimony payments is determined once the court rules that support is warranted. Alimony is not meant to last forever because it is supposed to help the receiver get back on their feet financially. Alimony payments are often awarded for a period of time proportional to the length of the marriage. In most cases, alimony payments must end when the marriage does.
Obtaining the Necessary Alimony
Alimony is meant to help both parties continue living at a level of comfort after a divorce, or at least one that is comparable to how they lived before the split. If a court is going to order alimony, there needs to be a significant change in the couple’s standard of living at the time of the split and their standard of living now.
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