What Factors Determine Alimony or Spousal Support in Lebanon, PA?

If you are approaching a divorce in Lebanon, PA, one of your key concerns may be alimony or spousal support. While there are a few minor differences between alimony and spousal support, courts generally examine the same factors when calculating what spouses should receive and pay after the end of a marriage. What are these factors? Is there any way to control the amounts you’ll pay or receive? These are questions you may raise with a family law attorney.

The Length of the Marriage

One factor that affects alimony or spousal support in Lebanon is the length of the marriage. As a general rule, longer marriages lead to longer terms of spousal support. In contrast, shorter marriages lead to shorter spousal support terms. If your marriage was extremely short (less than about two years), you might not have to worry about spousal support at all.

The Income and Assets of Each Spouse

The purpose of alimony or spousal support is to provide vulnerable spouses with a financial safety net. As a result, the court might need to determine whether a spouse actually needs this financial safety net before it awards alimony. To make this determination, the family court will examine the income and assets of each spouse.

The higher-earning spouse typically pays alimony to the lower-earning spouse. If the lower-earning spouse earned nothing at all during the marriage (perhaps due to their role as a homemaker or stay-at-home parent), alimony may be particularly likely.

If both spouses earn approximately the same income, alimony may not be necessary. Courts will also consider assets held by each spouse. For example, a spouse might have inherited large sums of money during the marriage. Even if this spouse did not work or earn income during the marriage, their inheritance may make them ineligible to receive alimony from a high-earning (but lower net-worth) spouse.

The Reasonable Needs of the Spouse

Under Pennsylvania law, spousal support is supposed to reflect the “reasonable needs” of the recipient. Both words are significant. Alimony is not meant to enrich the recipient. Instead, it is supposed to cover their basic necessities. These include expenses like food, shelter, clothing, transport, and medical care.

The word “reasonable” is also significant, and it reflects the court’s willingness to examine the spouse’s standard of living during their marriage. If the spouse became accustomed to a certain standard of living, spousal support may help maintain this standard of living. After a high-net-worth divorce, spousal support can be quite high for this reason. That said, permanent spousal support is rare. The court expects the recipient to become self-sufficient eventually.

Can an Alimony Lawyer in Lebanon, PA, Help Me?

If you want to learn more about the factors that affect spousal support, consider speaking with an experienced alimony lawyer in Lebanon, PA. While various universal rules affect alimony outcomes in Pennsylvania, each case is slightly different. As a result, it makes sense to discuss your unique situation with a family law attorney for accurate guidance. Contact Feeman Law Offices at (717) 273-1763 or visit us online to learn more.