Frisco Divorce Lawyer

Types of Alimony

In a marriage, especially one with children, there is often one partner who works and another who takes care of the home and children. The stay-at-home partner provides emotional support to the one who is in charge of providing for the family financially. Thus, when a couple like this gets divorced, one partner may be left without a source of income.

In cases like this, the working spouse may have to provide alimony for the domestic spouse. This is because the at-home spouse has given up his or her employment for an amount of time that may become a disadvantage when it comes to getting a new job after the divorce.

Three Forms of Alimony

There are three types of alimony, based on the way the payment is made. A court rules on what form of payment the domestic member receives after the divorce. These types of alimony include:

Temporary – also called rehabilitative alimony, this form of payment is only required while the domestic partner needs support before he or she can find employment. It may go towards furthering that person's education or providing specialized training for a future job.

Lump sum – as the name implies, this is one large amount of alimony that is paid all at once. Sometimes, this is unappealing due to tax issues.

Permanent – this occurs when the working partner must pay the domestic partner alimony for an indefinite amount of time. Payments are made regularly, but the financial provider may petition the court at some point to end this arrangement.

Contact Us

Dealing with alimony payments can be a hassle that contributes to an already stressful period of your life. If you or a loved one needs help with planning out alimony payments, you should speak to a family attorney about your options. For more information regarding alimony as well as other divorce-related topics, contact the Frisco family lawyers of Alexander & Associates today at 972-420-6570.