Calculating Alimony

Alimony is one of those issues that no one really likes to talk about because it is distilling a broken marriage down to the bare bones. Alimony is the payment provided by one spouse for future support of the other spouse.

However, when a judge hears a case in his or her courtroom, they must listen to all the facts and help make a judgment of “how much” should be assigned in alimony payments. This “how much” is what everyone wants to know because it greatly affects the lives of everyone involved.

Alimony is usually calculated in three ways:

1. First, the age of each party and the length of a marriage is taken into consideration. If a couple has been together for a long time, they have more shared assets and money that needs to be split up. A couple that has not been together for a very long time is less dependent on one another, so they can start anew more easily. Courts also feel that younger people do not need as large alimony settlements, as they can start fresh more easily.

2. Wrongdoing: If one of the ex-partners has actually committed some wrong that led to the end of the marriage, the court will often take sympathy on the victim. It will reward more money for emotional damage, as well as to punish the wrongdoer.

3. The income of each spouse is considered to make sure that following the divorce, both parties will have enough money to support themselves separately.

Talk to a San Diego Divorce Attorney Today

If you or a loved one is involved in a divorce case and believes that they are eligible for a large alimony payment, contact the San Marcos divorce lawyers of Fischer & Van Thiel at (760) 757-6854 for legal advice and representation for your case.