ALIMONY
 Alimony may be ordered by a court to be paid by one ex-spouse for the support of the other ex-spouse. It is important for a divorcing party to know whether alimony will be an issue.
When ordered or agreed, alimony is typically paid by the spouse with the higher earnings to the spouse with lesser or minimal earnings. In most cases, alimony is paid to the wife by the husband but this is not always the case. There are cases where the roles are reversed and the wife must pay alimony to the husband. Unlike child support, which is usually based on a mandated formula, a Massachusetts court will weigh the following factors in determining whether to order alimony:
- Length of the marriage
- Conduct of the parties during the marriage
- Age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills and employability
- Assets, liabilities and needs of each spouse
- Opportunity of each for future acquisition of capital assets and income
- Contribution of each of the parties to the acquisition, preservation and appreciation of the marital estate
- Contribution of each of the parties as a homemaker to the family unit.
Kerstein, Coren & Lichtenstein has the experience necessary to pursue the interests of a divorcing spouse in a Massachusetts alimony case and will zealously represent the client before the court and attempt to negotiate a settlement of the issues and avoid litigation. Our attorneys are knowledgeable about the tax implications of alimony. |
