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Here’s how alimony is addressed in a Georgia divorce

On Behalf of | Jun 17, 2022 | Alimony |

Without a doubt, there’s a lot at stake in your divorce. While you might be worried about spending time with your kids, and rightfully so, you also have to realize the true impact that divorce can have on your financial situation. After all, the outcome of your property division and support disputes could shape what your financial standing looks like for years to come.

How spousal support may be able to help

One way that you may be able to secure financial stability post-divorce is to seek spousal support. If successful in recovering alimony, then you’ll receive periodic payments that can help provide you with the resources that you need while you try to become more self-sufficient. As a result, obtaining an education, training, or a new job can become much easier when you have spousal support.

Spousal support isn’t guaranteed

A lot of people erroneously think that they’ll be granted alimony because their spouse cheated on them or because their spouse made a lot more money than them during their marriage. The reality is that Georgia law has a number of factors that the court has to consider when determining whether spousal support is appropriate and, if so, what that support should look like. Here are some of the main factors that the court will look at if you seek an alimony order:

  • The length of the marriage
  • Each party’s financial resources
  • Each party’s age
  • Each party’s mental and physical health
  • The marital standard of living
  • Contributions made during the marriage, including those pertaining to education, training, and childcare
  • The amount of time needed for the requesting spouse to become self-sufficient by obtaining an education, training, or employment

Georgia law also allows the court to consider any other factor that it deems relevant to the determination, which really opens the gates for argument. However, if you’re seeking alimony, then you have to ensure that your arguments are focused on the addressing legal justifications rather than scoring emotional points.

What this means for you

All of this is to say that if you’re headed for divorce, you can’t expect to recover spousal support. Just like any other legal process, you have to be prepared to argue for what you deserve. That means addressing each and every possible factor that could support your position.

For the marital standard of living, for example, you’ll want to paint as clear of a picture as possible of the home that you lived in, the car that you drove, the frequency with which you shopped and dined out, and even the vacations that you took during your marriage.

You’ll also have to be realistic about your work-related skills and your financial needs post-divorce. The other side is probably going to aggressively attack you on these points, so you’ll want to be as prepared as possible.

Do you need an ally on your side?

We know that the divorce process can be scary. There are a lot of unknowns throughout the process, and your entire world can seem upside down. You’re worried about spending time with your kids, finding a place to live, and how to make ends meet, which can all be enormously stressful.

But you don’t have to shoulder those overwhelming thoughts on your own. Rather, you can focus on spending time with your children and let an aggressive law firm like ours advocate for what you want and what you need from a financial perspective. Hopefully then the process will seem a little less daunting and you can position yourself for the outcome that is right for you.