What you need to know about alimony in Utah

Many people have one simple question, “how does alimony work in Utah?”  Seeking a divorce is usually an emotionally challenging process, but it can also have large financial implications.  Alimony, also known as spousal support is basically when one spouse pays compensation to another after a divorce has taken place.  The goal of this payment is to help the receiving partner maintain a lifestyle that was similar to the one they had before the marriage ended.  The Best divorce attorneys in Utah will be able to help you navigate the waters of a divorce, helping you make financial decisions without the impacts emotions can bring.  Now that we know what alimony means, let us take a look at how it is applied and calculated in Utah.

Will I have to pay alimony if I get divorced?

Spousal support used to be more common than it is today.  These laws have existed for more than 100 years, so there is a tradition of alimony being awarded after a legal separation has taken place.  There are several factors that go into the likelihood that alimony will be awarded to one spouse or another.  These include but are not limited to:

  1. The overall length and timeframe of the marriage. Typically the longer the marriage has gone, the more likely spousal support will be granted.  This is because the lifestyles of each partner have usually not changed in a short amount of time.  Whereas many changes can take place to live and housing situations over the course of a 20-year marriage.
  2. Is there a large discrepancy between what each partner is able to make financially? The earning capacity of each spouse will be taken into account when going through the family law system.  Take, for example, one spouse goes to school and receives several degrees.  The other spouse had a menial job to help pay for the home and student loans.  If these two were to split up the spouse with higher education probably has a greater earning potential.  In this common situation, alimony is likely going to be put into place.

Are there different types of alimony?

There are a few different types of alimony that can be put into place.  In general, these variations are intended to serve different purposes.

Alimony in future, additionally called periodic alimony, orders repayments made to the other partner to preserve the requirement of living they took pleasure in throughout the marriage (typical in prolonged marital relationships).

Rehabilitative alimony supports former spouses in order to boost their making power so that they can become self-dependent (for instance, by permitting them to go back to school).

Transitional alimony is granted to the economically-disadvantaged partner who may require aid adjusting to the monetary repercussions of a divorce.

Alimony in Solido, also referred to as lump-sum spousal support, permits one spouse to make payments in order to compensate for any imbalance in the property division of the divorce.

Contact a divorce lawyer in Utah

Regardless of whether you think you will need to pay alimony or are going to be the recipient, it is important to seek counsel.  If you live in Utah and are concerned with spousal support implications, contact Burton Family Attorneys at (801) 393-1106 or schedule an appointment online.
