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Spousal support depends upon a number of factors

On Behalf of | Apr 13, 2017 | alimony |

The decision to end a marriage can be a difficult one to make. Many times, one spouse earns more than the other; sometimes one of the spouses has been out of the workforce for a number of years. In situations such as these, divorce may appear to be a financial catastrophe for the individual. Fortunately, when deemed appropriate, it is possible for alimony, or spousal support, to be granted by the Michigan courts.

Spousal support is not something that is automatically a part of every divorce. Of course, the parties to the divorce can decide this issue themselves. However, when this does not happen, it is possible that the court may award it.

Generally, spousal support is awarded when one of the individuals will be in a much better financial position than the other once all is said and done. This can occur for a number of reasons. Perhaps one of the spouses stayed home and raised the children. In this case, it is unlikely that this individual can quickly re-enter the workforce and earn enough to maintain the current standard of living. Or, one of the spouses may still be in school and spousal support is granted for a short period of time to allow the individual to complete the degree and obtain employment.

There are a number of factors that the Michigan courts look at in determining spousal support. The length of the marriage, the age of the individuals, the financially position of each individual, the earning potential of each, how each individual behaved throughout the marriage and more are all taken into consideration. Experienced legal counsel can assist in determining the best way to proceed in addressing this issue.

Source: michiganlegalhelp.org, “Spousal Support (Alimony) in a Nutshell“, Accessed on April 8, 2017

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