Alimony Attorneys

Assisting Clients Who Need Spousal Maintenance in Phoenix

Spousal support refers to the financial assistance one spouse is often ordered by the court to give the other spouse after a divorce. The paying spouse may be required to do so for many reasons, all of which will need to be documented and proven before the court. Usually, in these circumstances, the party seeking maintenance is disadvantaged—often because they either hold a lower-paying job than their ex or they have no job because they have chosen not to work to stay home and care for the children and the house. Sometimes, a disability or lack of training or education can create a need for spousal maintenance. Obtaining a spousal support order can be confusing and complicated. Don’t get caught off guard after your divorce and find yourself and your children lacking financial resources because of sacrifices you have made during your marriage. Make sure your reasonable needs are covered by working with a family law attorney like us at The Sampair Group. We will help you ensure this change in circumstances doesn’t negatively impact your family’s well-being. Call us today at 623-777-3909.

What is Arizona Spousal Maintenance?

In Arizona, spousal maintenance is more commonly known as alimony.

At The Sampair Group, we help clients determine spousal maintenance during the divorce process. Spousal maintenance is the payment for the support of the ex-spouse ordered by the court. Spousal maintenance is designed to prevent a divorced spouse from undergoing a decrease in their standard of living.

Spousal maintenance helps the divorced spouse maintain a standard of living after the divorce if they are out of the workforce or untrained. In order for the ex-spouse to receive spousal maintenance, they must be getting a divorce or living separately. At times, spousal maintenance may become extremely complicated. Thus an experienced attorney from The Sampair Group can help handle such matters by providing additional resources and guidance.

In Arizona, spousal maintenance is an intricate part of the final outcome of the divorce. If an agreement cannot be reached on a spousal maintenance payment, the issue is taken to the Superior Court. The court will then consider certain factors of the marriage to make an appropriate maintenance decision. Some factors include the standard of living established during the marriage, the length of the marriage, the age and condition of the spouse seeking maintenance, and many others.

What Are Some Different Kinds of Spousal Maintenance?

The state of Arizona does not have strict guidelines as to how alimony payments are to be awarded, giving the courts a broad range of discretion as to how to go about awarding spousal maintenance, unlike child support. There are a few more common types of alimony, including the following:

Permanent Spousal Maintenance

This kind of alimony payment has no termination date and is usually awarded when the spouse seeking maintenance has a disability or is too old to reasonably consider seeking employment. The only way this sort of spousal maintenance usually ends is by the death of the receiving spouse.

Rehabilitative Spousal Maintenance

This type of spousal maintenance is the most commonly seen in the state of Arizona. In this form of spousal maintenance, the person seeking to receive spousal support is not prepared to seek employment after the divorce because of a lack of experience in the job market, insufficient education, or other disadvantages that the spouse has due to sacrifices made in favor of the other spouse’s educational opportunities or employment. The idea is that the paying spouse will continue to give financial support until the other spouse obtains the education or training needed to become self-sufficient. Sometimes courts will set a time limit for the payments or possibly a condition that must be met, such as a certain degree of education.

Compensatory Spousal Maintenance

Compensatory spousal maintenance is used less often and is often misunderstood by those seeking spousal maintenance payments. In this sort of case, a former spouse has actually invested time and even money into the education or improvement of their ex’s employment. Paying a spouse’s tuition or supporting the family while they are in school would be examples. When this occurs, the spouse seeking a spousal maintenance order is owed an amount to compensate for the time and effort they have invested in the success of their spouse.

Whatever situation you find yourself in, you’ll want talented family attorneys on your side who understand how to properly present your case before the court. Without legal representation, it can be difficult or even impossible to achieve the results you deserve, so reach out to us today.

How Much Spousal Maintenance Will I be Awarded?

The amount of the spousal maintenance award can vary greatly depending on the situation. The amount of court-ordered support may depend on whether a divorced spouse has sufficient property to maintain their standard of living, whether they are of an age or state of mind sufficient to get work, whether there is child custody to consider, and many other factors. There will also be a consideration as to whether a person made significant sacrifices in his or her own education and employment opportunities for the benefit of their spouse, affecting their earning capacity or even justifying a compensatory spousal maintenance payment. Divorce or legal separation is a substantial change in circumstances in your life and may already be causing stress and emotional trauma. Don’t let financial worries add to what you’re already going through. Rely on our experienced lawyers to help with your spousal maintenance case.

Should You Hire a Family Law Attorney in Your Spousal Maintenance Case?

When going through a divorce, annulment, or legal separation, you already have so many things on your mind and changes going on in your life. One of the principal worries is whether your quality of life will suffer, especially if you have children relying on you for support. If you find yourself in this situation and worry that you won’t be ready to enter the labor market because of sacrifices you’ve made during your marriage in order for your spouse to achieve success, you may be eligible for spousal maintenance, also known as alimony. Let our trusted and understanding attorneys help you get the spousal maintenance you deserve. We take great pride in creating an attorney-client relationship that allows your needs to be met while simplifying the legal process as much as possible for you.

If you need legal representation in spousal maintenance or any family law dispute, call us right away at 623-777-3909, or send us an e-mail to schedule a initial consultation.