Spousal support – also known as alimony or spousal maintenance – can be a subject of dispute, especially when divorcing parties cannot reach an agreement on their own or when the divorce is heavily contested.
Spousal maintenance is often intended to help the spouse who is likely to be financially disadvantaged following the divorce or one who did not work during the marriage. At other times, it is used to offset the paying spouse’s decision to keep valuable marital assets. In the event that a divorce is litigated, not negotiated, the court will take the following factors into account when making determinations about spousal support in Washington.
Determining factors
Real-world situations will generally play a huge role in determining spousal support obligations. Thus, the court will determine your ex’s specific needs versus your financial capability. For instance, if the receiving party needs to acquire specific skills to become employable, then it will establish what it takes to acquire such skills as well as your ex’s ability to pay.
Additionally, the duration of your marriage can help the court determine whether you or your ex should receive spousal support or not. If one of you should, then the court will again bank on the duration of the marriage to determine how the payments will be structured.
Protecting your interests
If you have resolved to end your marriage, you might be curious to know if and how much you will be required to pay or receive in spousal support. Learning more about Washington alimony laws can help you protect your rights and interests while litigating spousal maintenance.