Your Legal Guide Through Life’s Twists And Turns

Are you a stay-at-home mom seeking a divorce?

| Apr 14, 2017 | Divorce

Divorce is intimidating no matter who you are, but if you’re a stay-at-home mom, the prospect of separating from your spouse and his or her financial support can be terrifying. The idea of trying to re-enter the workforce after spending years at home with your children may seem daunting, if not impossible. If you’re in this situation, however, the law might be on your side.

Tennessee law offers legal support to homemakers via alimony, also referred to as spousal maintenance. One of the primary reasons why alimony exists is to prevent non-working spouses from getting trapped in a toxic marriage solely because of financial reasons.

Through an award of alimony, the less-moneyed spouse can receive payments to ensure that he or she can stay financially afloat for a sufficient period of time to obtain new education and skills to re-enter the workforce. The size of these payments will depend on several important factors, which include:

— The length of time the less moneyed spouse has not been working.

— How many children the couple has.

— Whether further education is required to gain sufficient employment.

— The financial capacity of the moneyed spouse to make payments

— How long the couple was married for.

In some situations, alimony will not be temporary, but it will be permanent. Permanent alimony, however, is not typically awarded unless a couple has been married for a significant number of years.

Often the most burning question on spouses’ minds is either, “How much money will I have to pay?” or “How much money could I receive?” At the Law Office of Steven C. Girsky, our legal team is available to help you review your family’s financial and marital situation to determine whether the need to pay alimony could be factor in your divorce.

Archives

FindLaw Network