Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)

Fighting For Fair Maintenance Orders

Many spouses going through divorce worry about paying the other spouse a ton of alimony. Alimony, which is referred to as spousal maintenance or, simply, maintenance, is regular payments from one current or ex-spouse to another. People often think of spousal maintenance as money the husband (or ex-husband) pays the wife, but the increasingly leveled playing field means that maintenance is no longer such a gender-biased arrangement. 

Is There a Formula For Spousal Maintenance? 

Arizonans often wonder whether or not there is a formula for calculating spousal maintenance amounts (like there is for Child Support). There is not. When judges in Arizona are tasked with determining a spousal maintenance order, they must consider a whole host of factors, such as: 

  • Each spouse’s earning capacity and standard of living
  • The contributions each spouse made to the marital home
  • The ability of each spouse to be self-sufficient
  • The length of time it will take for one or both spouses to become self-sufficient

Types of Spousal Maintenance

Spouses often worry about paying a bunch of money to their exes for the rest of their lives. In practice, judges in Arizona rarely order permanent spousal maintenance. These orders are usually reserved for individuals who are simply unable to become self-sufficient.

More commonly, judges order spousal maintenance to be paid during the divorce (called “pendente lite” maintenance) or for a period after the divorce. Just because you or your spouse secured pendente lite maintenance does not mean it will continue after the divorce is finalized.

Remember, though: you are always free to work with your spouse to come up with an appropriate maintenance amount if you don’t want to leave it up to a judge.

Get the Representation You Need

Divorce is a major life event. Plenty of spouses believe they can save money by not hiring a lawyer. However, not getting quality legal counsel can leave money on the table. Spousal maintenance (or the lack thereof) is a prime example of that principle.

Monahan Law Firm is here to help you and your family get fair dealings in and out of court. Visit this page to set up your initial consultation today.