Regardless of why you decided to get divorced, nullifying a marriage can have a substantial financial impact on both parties.

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It is not surprising why filing for divorce is such a huge financial undertaking. After all, there used to be two persons with a combined household income, but now these two persons choose to go separate ways.

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Consequently, what was once was a combined household income is now split into two parts, and not always equally so. That is where spousal support – or alimony – comes into play.

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In the vast majority of divorces in Los Angeles County, one spouse earns more than the other. During the marriage, the spouse who earns less or is unemployed may not notice that he or she lacks finances because of the shared household income.

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However, when they get divorced, the lower-earning spouse suffers a more significant loss. And men are not always the ones paying spousal support to their ex-wives, as the number of women paying alimony and child support has been on the rise.

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Since spousal support can become complicated, it is advised to get help from a Los Angeles County spousal support attorney. According to Candace Jones, a Los Angeles County-based Attorney at Law and author of a series of free e-books, “maintenance” is important when going through a divorce.

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“You are encouraged to do the same thing as mechanics and doctors encourage you to do,” says Candace Jones in her Vlog called “Do I Need to Hire an Attorney?” “It’s maintenance. At least before you start something, you should probably consult with somebody to make sure that you are headed in the right direction.”

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When people decide to get divorced or separate in Los Angeles County or elsewhere in California, a court may order the higher-earning spouse (payor) to pay the lower-earning spouse a specified amount of money regularly.

These regular payments are referred to as spousal support or alimony. Contrary to popular belief, spousal support payments are not intended to punish a spouse for his or her misconduct or misbehavior during the marriage.

Since California is a no-fault divorce state, any misconduct such as adultery does not have any impact on financial resolutions in alimony cases. The sole purpose of spousal support is to ensure that both spouses are able to maintain their pre-divorce standard of living after nullifying the marriage.

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Generally, there are two types of spousal support that you receive or pay in California:

• Temporary is paid until a complete agreement is reached.

• Permanent is paid for an indefinite period of time, though the arrangement can be modified or terminated if there is a substantial change in the circumstances (for example, the receiving spouse remarries, or the paying spouse loses the job).

 

California judges follow the 10-year rule, which means if a marriage lasted for less than ten years, the paying spouse is usually required to pay spousal support for no longer than half the length of the marriage.

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