Alimony New Jersey
Choosing an Alimony Lawyer for Divorce
Alimony (or spousal support) is defined as financial support ordered by the Court— or agreed
to by divorcing parties and their attorneys and/or through mediation— to be given from one
party to the other.
When a married person makes the often-difficult decision to get divorced, many concerns may immediately fill their mind: where will the children reside? When did the relationship between me and my spouse deteriorate? And what is to become of my and my family’s long-term financial stability?
Ultimately divorce, in addition to being about emotional estrangement and incompatible
differences, is also a financial consideration. Will our marital home be sold, and if so, how will
the proceeds be divided? What is the value of my spouse’s company? Who will pay for the
children’s education? And, often, the one we immediately think of when we think of divorce:
am I entitled to alimony?
Do you want/need or qualify for alimony?
This may be one of the very first questions someone divorcing may want to ask their New
Jersey alimony lawyer. And we get it— divorce can be scary. How am I going to afford the
weekly grocery bill, or for all the costs associated with my daughter’s soccer team?
At O’Cathain Law Group, we are all about helping you move forward— that’s our slogan, and
it’s also our goal. And alimony is a powerful tool (money the Court orders one divorced party to
give the other) to help you move forward. But we don’t believe that alimony is given or
awarded— we believe it’s earned.
Because if you’re reading this, and you’re the party seeking alimony, you know what you
sacrificed for your family. Rescheduling the late meeting your boss asked for because you had
to pick up your child from an afterschool activity. Accompanying your spouse to their
company’s holiday party, while putting your own career on pause for a while. Prioritizing your
family and your spouse’s career over your own professional ambitions.
A New Jersey alimony lawyer can help you determine how much alimony you will need, how
much alimony you deserve, and how best to get it.
Potential Factors
There are several different factors that may determine the amount of alimony (if any) a
divorced spouse may be entitled to. Some of the questions you should discuss with your New
Jersey alimony lawyer are:
- What is the potential income disparity between the two spouses? Does one spouse
make a lot more money?
- Did one spouse (not necessarily the mother, though oftentimes so portrayed in society)
give up career opportunities to take on the brunt of child-rearing?
- Did one spouse leave the workforce, even if only by tacit understanding?
- What is the health, age and income earning potential of the two spouses?
- Is one spouse going to receive child support as well?
- What is the lifestyle or manner to which those in the family— potentially including the children— have become accustomed? (For instance, a certain car, a summer camp, a
family vacation, etc.)
Alimony in the Garden State
A New Jersey alimony lawyer will know of certain considerations special to the Garden State.
Alimony is not immediately awarded in New Jersey; one of the parties must petition the Court
for it. Additionally, New Jersey is a state that allows what’s known as “open duration alimony,”
which is to say there’s no set end date. Alimony can be revisited during the post-divorce
process and revised with considerations towards new or different employment opportunities;
taxes and their bearing on alimony; investments and such; or a host of other myriad financial
factors.
Divorce, like everything else in life, goes from A to Z— and alimony is right at the top. Give us a
call, fill out the intake form, or email a dedicated Family Law paralegal to speak with a New
Jersey alimony lawyer at O’Cathain Law Group.