Chicago Spousal Support Lawyer

Chicago Spousal Support Lawyer

In Illinois, what you likely think of as alimony is called spousal support or maintenance, and if your divorce creates a financial imbalance between you and your ex, this support can play an important role. If you’re facing a divorce and have questions or concerns related to spousal support, don’t wait to consult with an experienced Chicago spousal support lawyer. 

The Reasoning Behind Spousal Maintenance, also known as alimony

Spousal support is intended to help balance any financial discrepancies between divorcing spouses. If divorce leaves one ex without financial independence and if the other spouse has the financial means to help offset this, spousal support may be ordered. Generally, spousal support is intended to help the recipient obtain the job skills, training, or education necessary to support himself or herself financially. The court takes many factors into consideration, some being the duration of the marriage, the parties’ respective income, and the allocation of the marital estate.

The duration and amount of this maintenance, also known as spousal support are calculated according to highly specific state guidelines, and wide-ranging factors are taken into consideration in determining whether or not spousal support is appropriate, to begin with. Generally, the longer the marriage and the more the would-be recipient of the spousal support contributed to the other’s career success, the more likely it is that there will be a spousal support order and the longer its duration is likely to be.

The Factors at Play

Those factors that the court takes into careful consideration when determining if spousal support will be ordered include:

• The length of the marriage
• The standard of living established by the couple during their marriage
• Each spouse’s separate property (in light of the divorce’s division of marital property and the attendant tax implications) and individual income (including all sources of public and private income)
• Each spouse’s financial needs
• Each spouse’s age and physical health
• Each spouse’s realistic current and future earning power
• Any role that the marriage and the provision of housekeeping and childcare played in slowing down or halting the recipient’s education or career advancement
• The amount of time the recipient will realistically need to obtain the necessary education, job training, or skills to advance his or her earning potential
• Any valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement that is in place
• Any other factor that the court deems relevant

From here, if spousal support is deemed appropriate, the court will plug the relevant numbers into the spousal support calculator to determine the amount and duration of the spousal support in question. Only if the marriage is twenty years or longer will permanent spousal support (or support that lasts the length of the marriage) be an option. 

An Experienced Chicago Spousal Support Lawyer Is on Your Side and Well Prepared to Help

If you are facing a concern related to spousal maintenance, the resourceful Chicago spousal support lawyers at WARD FAMILY LAW, LLC, are on your side and committed to skillfully advocating for a resolution that upholds your financial rights and that reflects your contributions to your marriage. To learn more about what we can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.