Alimony, also known as spousal support, is payment from one former spouse to the other in order to assist the recipient spouse become self-supporting. The Law Offices of Kerri Cohen passionately advocates on behalf of our clients to obtain the best possible outcome in alimony disputes. It is important to have an experienced attorney on your side to guide you through the complex alimony laws and protect your rights, regardless whether you will be asking to receive alimony from your spouse or being asked to provide alimony to your spouse.
In Maryland, there are three types of alimony; “Pendente Lite,” “Rehabilitative,” and “Indefinite.”
Pendente Lite Alimony is temporary alimony that is awarded pending the divorce to maintain the status quo until the divorce is final. It does not mean that alimony will be awarded in the divorce.
Rehabilitative Alimony is the most common alimony awarded in Maryland. It is temporary alimony that allows the recipient spouse to become self-supporting.
Indefinite Alimony is rare in Maryland, but is awarded when the recipient spouse’s age, illness, or disability prevents them from becoming self-supporting, or, when there is a very large and unfair difference between their standard of living and their ex-spouse’s standard of living.
Alimony may be awarded on a complaint for absolute divorce, limited divorce, or annulment.
The Court considers the following factors when determining an award of alimony:
The ability of the party seeking alimony to be wholly or partly self-supporting;
The time necessary for the party seeking alimony to gain sufficient education or training to enable that party to find suitable employment;
The standard of living that the parties established during their marriage;
The duration of the marriage;
The contributions, monetary and nonmonetary, of each party to the well-being of the family;
The circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the parties;
The age of each party;
The physical and mental condition of each party;
The ability of the party from whom alimony is sought to meet that party’s needs while meeting the needs of the party seeking alimony;
any agreement between the parties;
The financial needs and financial resources of each party; and other relevant considerations.
It is important to discuss these factors with a knowledgeable family law attorney. Our skilled lawyers understand how to use the law to get you results. Contact the Law Offices of Kerri Cohen today to speak with an experienced alimony attorney about your specific goals.