[header] How to avoid alimony in instances of abandonment [title] Remove your name from joint accounts. [step] If you're planning to leave your spouse (which may be termed abandonment), separating finances as much as possible before you go is ideal. However, if you plan to leave secretly this may not be an option. 
[substeps] Keep in mind that courts typically don't consider abandonment when dividing marital assets. However, if you removed large sums of money from joint accounts or ran up high credit card balances, you may end up having to pay your spouse at least some of that back.