When New Jersey residents are part of a divorce case, they probably expect to encounter quite a few bumps in the road during the process. After all, in many cases, the situation already starts out with two people who are obviously not overly fond of one another, although there are admittedly some cases in which the couples can work together enough to reach an out-of-court settlement. However, there will be those cases in which the couple fights tooth-and-nail over every detail, especially alimony. When it comes to contentious arguments about alimony in a divorce, be sure you know what you are getting into.
In a typical divorce, the parties can agree on some details. Perhaps they are mostly in agreement when it comes to property division. Or, perhaps they have worked out an arrangement when it comes to child custody and support. Alimony issues, however, will usually be filled with tension.
When pursuing alimony, it can help to know the factors that courts will consider when making a decision on this divorce legal issue. First, the court may consider the relative financial and economic security each spouse will have in the aftermath of the divorce. Next, the court may consider each spouse’s health situation, and if each spouse will have a relatively stable living situation when the divorce is concluded. And lastly, the court may consider how each spouse has contributed to the marriage in an economic sense. For example, if one spouse stayed at home to take care of children while the other went to school or advanced a career, that may be taken into consideration.
There are other factors that might impact an alimony decision as well, but these are the most common factors. At our law firm, we do our best to attempt to make sure that our clients know their options when it comes to alimony issues. For more information, please visit the alimony overview section of our law firm’s website.