Understanding Spousal Support 

During and after a divorce, one spouse may need financial support from the other to make up for his or her lack of income. The emotions surrounding this issue can be as complicated as the arguments for and against the support order. If your divorce involves a request for spousal support, also referred to as alimony, you need an experienced lawyer on your side to ensure your spouse does not take advantage of the situation.

Spousal support can be a very difficult issue. While it is unfair to leave one person financially unstable, it may be equally unfair to ask the other to make payments he or she cannot afford. The lawyers of The Koblin Family Law Center have extensive experience arguing for and against spousal support as part of a divorce. We understand the legal and emotional arguments surrounding this issue and will protect your interests, whether you are trying to get spousal support or you are being asked to pay it.

Factors Determining Spousal Support

For some couples, the less well-off spouse will receive spousal support during the divorce proceedings as a matter of course. These calculations are made with a formula created as part of the family law code by the California Legislature.

After the divorce, certain factors will apply, including:

• The length of the marriage
• The income disparity between the two parties
• Whether one spouse gave up a career to support the other or take care of the home and children
• The less well-off spouse’s earning potential

We are diligent in our investigations regarding spousal support. If your spouse is deliberately under- or unemployed so that he or she receives payments or avoids having to make payments, we will argue for a specific income to be inferred, based on his or her earning potential.

For those who have sacrificed their own careers for the sake of their marriages, we will avidly pursue some form of spousal support. We believe the spouse leaving the marriage with his or her career intact should acknowledge and repay the sacrifice of the other.

Let Us Ensure You Are Treated Fairly During And After Your Divorce

Please contact our office in Pleasanton at 925-298-2961 or online to speak with one of our attorneys about spousal support in your divorce.