Pennsylvania Spousal Maintenance Attorney
Helping you make informed, intelligent decisions about spousal support and alimony. At the Law Office of Douglas Earl LLC, we have more than 30 years of experience helping clients resolve divorce disputes over financial assistance. Determining alimony, spousal support or alimony pendente lite can be very difficult and is often closely tied to other matters, such as property division. Philadelphia alimony and spousal support attorney Douglas P. Earl has the knowledge and commitment you need to sort through an alimony or spousal support petition and get results that make sense.
Can alimony or support for the spouse be awarded in a divorce?
Two kinds of financial support for the spouse can be awarded in a divorce:
- Alimony Pendente Lite (APL) is a form of support that is only awarded for the period after a divorce complaint has been filed and ends when the divorce is granted. Its purpose is to allow the spouse with less financial resources than the other to pursue and/or defend against the divorce action and maintain his or her standard of living during this period.
The Many Forms of Alimony in Pennsylvania
Alimony, also known as spousal support or spousal maintenance, can be a temporary arrangement, benefiting one spouse for a limited amount of time during a separation (spousal support) or during the divorce process (temporary alimony or alimony pendente lite/APL). A judge may also award alimony for a defined period after the divorce is finalized (lump sum/periodic alimony or rehabilitative alimony). This is common, because alimony is considered a rehabilitative solution, often only available until the spouse becomes self-supporting.
However, depending on the length of the marriage, the age of the supported spouse and other factors, courts will sometimes order permanent alimony.
Alimony, is a form of financial support paid by one spouse to the other after the divorce is final. The law allows the court to order alimony for as long as it is needed based on the following factors:
- Relative earnings and earning capacities of the parties;
- Ages and physical, mental and emotional conditions of parties;
- Sources of income of both parties, including: expectancies and inheritances of both parties, length of marriage, and contribution to the education, training, or increased earning power of the other party.
- Extent to which earning power, expenses, or financial obligations of a party will be affected by reason of serving as custodian of minor child;
- Standard of living of the parties established during the marriage;
- Relative education of the parties and time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking alimony to find appropriate employment;
- Relative assets and liabilites of parties;
- Property brought to the marriage by either party;
- Contribution of a spouse as a homemaker;
- Relative needs of the parties;
- Marital Misconduct of either party during marriage, but not after the date of final separation (except abuse of one party by the other);
- Federal, state and local ramifications of alimony;
- Whether the party seeking alimony lacks sufficient property to provide for the party’s reasonable needs;
- Capability for self-support through appropriate employment.
Balancing Alimony With Other Divorce Issues
A divorce is not a series of distinct issues that are resolved in a vacuum. Instead, everything overlaps.
Frequently, determining alimony payments overlaps with property division. For example, one spouse may agree to pay the other spouse alimony in order to obtain exclusive title to a certain piece of property. Philadelphia alimony and spousal support attorney Douglas Earl knows how to balance all of these issues to pursue an outcome that will work for you.
We Fight for You!
In some cases, alimony payments and all other aspects of the divorce can be resolved amicably. Unfortunately, not all issues lend themselves to simple agreement.
Some divorce issues require a fight. With 30 years of experience on our side, we understand family court procedures. Our Pennsylvania spousal support lawyer is there nearly every day of the week, working hard to get positive results for people like you.
We’re Here When You Need Us
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help people in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania fight for fair and proper alimony payments.
Contact an experienced Philadelphia alimony attorney today.