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Do I qualify for alimony?

On Behalf of | Aug 19, 2021 | Divorce

Ending a marriage can create significant financial hardship for one or both spouses. If youve been primarily dependent on your spouses income, you may have concerns about your economic outlook post-divorce. This likely has you wondering if you qualify for alimony. Heres how spousal support works in Maryland.

Three types of alimony

In Maryland, there are three types of spousal support available. They are pendente lite, rehabilitative and indefinite. Alimony pendente lite is specifically for the time between your divorce filing and the finalization of the process. It ends after your divorce decree is issued.

Rehabilitative support is temporary. It is meant to keep the receiving spouse on his or her feet until able to be self-supporting or gain the skills needed to do so. Finally, indefinite alimony may be granted to spouses who have no way to support themselves due to age, disability or illness. It may also be provided in cases of severe financial disparity between both parties.

Who qualifies?

Alimony is not awarded in every divorce case. You can request it, but certain factors will be considered to determine if you qualify, such as your age, income, length of the marriage, need and your spouses ability to pay — among various other things. If you and your spouse cannot work out an agreement, a judge will get the final say as to whether you qualify, how much you’ll receive and for how long.

Have questions?

If you have questions about alimony, an experienced family law attorney may be able to answer them. If spousal support is something you wish to pursue, legal counsel may be able to help you with that. To learn more about this topic and how an attorney can be of assistance in getting you a fair divorce settlement that may include spousal support, please take a moment and visit our firms website.

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