Alimony is a form of spousal support that one spouse pays to the other in order to provide for certain needs, such as housing and upkeep. It is typically awarded by the courts after a divorce. Generally, alimony will not be granted unless it can be proved that a spouse cannot afford to pay it out of their own pocket. Therefore, you might need the assistance of a lawyer to get legal advice for increasing the chances of getting alimony.
The amount of alimony varies from one person to another and many factors will affect it. One of the main factors that determine the amount of alimony for a spouse is the length of the marriage. The longer you have been married, the more likely it is that you will receive alimony from your former spouse. In all cases, it would be advisable to consult with a specialist in family law as they will advise you on what to do depending on your situation.
We will now see the main factors determining the amount of alimony.
- The length of the marriage
In order to determine the amount of alimony, a court will consider the length of the marriage. This is one of the main factors that will determine whether or not you will receive alimony and if so, how much. For example, in a case where husband and wife have been married for 10 years, it is quite likely that the wife will get alimony from the husband but not so in the case of marriages that were shorter than 10 years.
- Career and income
Another factor that will determine the amount of alimony is your career and income. In some cases, it is possible that you might get alimony from your former spouse if you were already earning when you were married. In any case, the court would take this into consideration as well.
- Age
The court will also take into consideration the age of the former spouse. The younger you are, the more likely you will get alimony. In fact, if you are very young and do not have a steady career, even your basic needs such as food and shelter may be provided for by your former spouse through alimony.
- Health condition
The health condition of the former spouse is one of the main factors that will determine the amount of alimony. In some cases, you might get alimony if you are ill and cannot work to support yourself.
