When going through a divorce, it is natural to feel anxious and uncertain about your future. After all, this is a drastic change in your life, so it is common to have questions and concerns about how your life will be structured following your divorce. Most often, these concerns are financial in nature, since separation will typically cause one spouse to lose their main or even their only source of income. If this describes your situation, you may be able to request rehabilitative alimony, which is designed to provide for those who demonstrate a significant financial need brought upon by their divorce. Most often, this is requested by those who did not work for the majority of their marriage but rather chose to stay home and care for their household and/or children. Now that they are pursuing a divorce, they must continue to care for themselves and their children while finding a new source of income. If this describes you, we understand the weight of the challenge you have been faced with. Many times, those who stayed home during their marriage lack the education or skills that will enable them to get a well-paying job. That, combined with their lack of recent experience, may force them to take a job that requires them to work long hours for little pay, interfering with their quality of life and their ability to care for their children. We do not want you to find yourself in such a detrimental situation and believe that rehabilitative alimony could be the best option for you. Spousal support is never guaranteed, which means that you must put together a persuasive case outlining the specific reasons why it is needed. You must be able to show that the quality of life that you had during the marriage will now suffer, while your spouse will continue to be able to enjoy the same standard of living. This requires substantial financial proof. That is where we come in. We will help you acquire evidence from your past and current circumstances and compile it into convincing arguments to win the judge over to your side.
Note, however, that spousal support is not only for those who lack the experience needed to reenter the workforce. If you are disabled or cannot seek work after the divorce due to some physical or mental restriction, you can request permanent spousal support. This will typically last your entire life unless the judge feels that it is only necessary for a certain amount of time or if your circumstances change years after the divorce. Requesting this type of spousal support relies on a similar burden of proof: that your quality of life will suffer greatly due to the loss of income, that you are unable to find work after the divorce, and that your spouse can afford to continue supporting you in the years following the divorce. However, because permanent spousal support lasts so much longer than rehabilitative spousal support, your proof must be quite substantial. It is absolutely essential that you recruit an attorney who has had experience requesting spousal support in Victorville. We know exactly what these judges look for when examining such requests, and can help you build the most persuasive case possible. If you are at all in doubt of whether or not you will be able to win your case, give us a call today at no cost to you.
Some types of spousal support are paid in what is called a “lump sum.” For example, if you have ever given your spouse a large amount of money to pay off loans, receive an education, or make a significant purchase, you can request that they pay you back with reimbursement alimony. This is slightly more complicated and restrictive than rehabilitative alimony and, as such, can be difficult to obtain. However, our attorneys have worked with Victorville’s family law judges time and time again and have seen what makes and breaks requests for reimbursement spousal support. Call us today to discuss your options.
Additionally, there are clients who come to us with concerns about how they are going to pay for the divorce while still providing for themselves on their children. Perhaps you already have a job and you’re not necessarily concerned about your financial situation following the divorce, but you are worried that the cost of the divorce itself will prevent you from getting back on your feet. This is when temporary alimony becomes a viable option. For spouses who might be earning less than their husband or wife or who may be in charge of caring for the kids during the divorce (as determined by child custody/support), they can request temporary spousal support for the duration of the divorce proceedings. Once the divorce is finalized, the support will cease. If you do not feel that you need rehabilitative spousal support, but would still like some additional funds to help you pay for the divorce and rebuild your life, call us today. We can discuss which option is the best for your individual situation and start building a persuasive case in your favor.
No matter the type of alimony that you are requesting, there are several factors that will weigh into the judge’s decision, such as the age and health of both spouses, domestic violence or the presence of restraining orders, the ability of the spouse to earn the higher income to make payments, skills and experience of each spouse, and so much more. Our attorneys will innovatively and persuasively pull together the most persuasive pieces of evidence from your life and current financial situation to show the judge exactly why you need additional support.
If you have a restraining order in place against your spouse/partner (or wish to request one) that has caused you to lose your main source of income, you can also request spousal support. We understand that these cases can be extremely sensitive, and will provide you with the perfect mixture of compassion, confidentiality, and expertise to help ensure that you get the support you need.