Alimony payment is a court-ordered financial support paid by one ex-spouse to the other after the marriage has legally ended. It is also known as spousal support or spousal maintenance. Alimony payments are normally issued in cases where one spouse earns a higher income than the other. The payment structures and requirements to fulfill alimony are outlined by a legal decree or court order. There are five primary types of alimony, each with a different purpose, including:
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Temporary Alimony: This can be granted while the divorce is in progress, to help until the divorce is final. When the divorce becomes final, there may or may not be an order for alimony after the divorce.
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Rehabilitative Alimony: This is paid while the lower-earning spouse attempts to increase their employment chances through education or training or while on a job search. It ceases either after a fixed period of time or when the payee becomes self-supporting.
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Reimbursement Alimony: This is paid to reimburse a spouse for expenses incurred during the marriage, such as education or training expenses.
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Lump-Sum Alimony: This is a one-time payment of a fixed amount of money.
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Permanent Alimony: This is paid until the death of either party or until the recipient remarries.
The amount of alimony can be calculated according to several elements related to the expenses and the conditions of resources of the divorced or separated parents, such as the net monthly income of the spouses, their credit, rent, taxation, or specific expenses related to the children (health, education, etc). The duration of alimony is often based on the length of the marriage; in other words, the longer the marriage, the longer the duration of alimony payments. Refusing to pay or not keeping up to date with alimony payments may result in civil or criminal charges for the payer.
