Posts tagged "spousal support"

Often when parents divorce, the non-custodial parent is ordered to pay the custodial parent spousal support in addition to child support. More often than naught, the children reside with their mother. As the months and years go by, both parents may be involved in other serious relationships. The relationship of one New Jersey mother and her ex's motion to terminate spousal support has drawn criticism from father's rights advocates.

When you think about what women want for mother's day, there are probably a few common things that come to mind -- flowers, cards and homemade gifts from the children. But this Mother's Day, many moms in Old Bridge gave more than they received. Sitting at their tables between flowers and cards, many mothers took the time to write their exes checks for child support or spousal support.

When we think about traditional gender roles in marriages, many people picture the men as the breadwinners and the women as the homemakers. Although that may have been true for decades, the tables are starting to turn. As women gain new footing in the workplace, it is becoming increasingly common for women to be the breadwinners and for men to be the homemakers.

When a couple divorces, one spouse may be responsible for providing financial support to the other spouse. In New Jersey, child support or alimony may be awarded to the spouse who makes less money. Child support is designed to help single parents pay for the daily living expenses of raising a child as well as the unique needs of their children, but many parents do not receive the support they are promised.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less than half of the parents who are owed support actually receive the full amount. About one-third receive only a portion of the total amount due, and nearly one-quarter do not receive any of the child support they are owed.

Is there anything divorced parents can do to receive that money, or are they simply out of luck?

There are a number of arguments that people going through a divorce, particularly high-asset divorces, often make concerning spousal support or child support. These arguments, however, have been rejected by courts in New Jersey and elsewhere.

Sometimes, a divorced parent will question why his or her ex-spouse, who was awarded possession of the home and custody of the children, is not required to contribute to child support, particularly if they have a higher income. This is because support is frequently awarded based on legislative guidelines as a percentage of the income of the parent not providing the children's primary residence.

In New Jersey, spousal support may be awarded after divorce to help ensure both individuals are able to maintain the lifestyle he or she grew accustomed to during the marriage. However, even when people are awarded spousal support, they may still need to adjust their lifestyle to help ensure they are living within their means.

Spousal support, sometimes called alimony, is the legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse following a divorce. The rules surrounding spousal support are often fairly broad, and a great deal is left to the discretion of the judge when it comes to deciding the specifics.

In the past year, a number of high-profile Baby Boomer couples announced they were getting divorced. Every high net worth couple that gets divorced in New Jersey must make financial considerations that lower-income couples don't have, but divorcing couples over 50 have even more things to consider.

Because of the amount of time they have spent in the workforce and the size of the assets they have acquired together, there is more at stake. To avoid making costly mistakes, individuals should consider three main things: