Alimony does not necessarily have to be paid for the rest of a divorced spouse’s life

When couples divorce, one spouse often ends up paying alimony to the other spouse so that they can support themselves and maintain their standard of living. This type of support is typically dreaded by the spouse who will end up paying it but vital for the one receiving it. Before you sign an alimony agreement drafted by your former spouse’s attorney, be sure you understand the type of alimony provided for and how this will affect your future.

Permanent Alimony

Permanent alimony is the most common type of alimony. It is typically awarded when couples who have been married for about 15 years or more decide to divorce and one spouse is unable to maintain their accustomed standard of living without support. Permanent alimony is considered somewhat old fashioned by some, as it harks back to the days when women traditionally did not work outside the home and therefore were not able to easily re-enter the workforce and support themselves if they became divorced later in life. Today, the high-earning spouse ordered to pay alimony may be male or female.

Temporary Alimony

Temporary alimony is, as the name suggests, a temporary measure. Because filing for divorce and finalizing all the agreements can take months or even years, judges often award temporary alimony to ensure that the dependent spouse can support themselves in a separate residence until the divorce goes through.

Rehabilitative Alimony

Rehabilitative alimony is often an excellent option to explore, from the point of view of both the payer and the recipient. This type of alimony is designed to provide the necessary funding and support for the non-earning spouse to complete any training or schooling necessary to successfully re-enter the workforce. It is good for the spouse paying alimony because it ensures the alimony obligation will have an end date, and it is good for the spouse receiving alimony because they end up with a marketable skill set and a career that will provide them with independence.

Transitional Alimony

Transitional alimony is designed to help the dependent or non-earning spouse transition into a new and separate life. Often this type of alimony is awarded as a one-time payment and may be used to cover a move or to purchase something like a new house or new car.

Alimony Is Awarded at a Judge’s Discretion

While your divorce attorney can help you figure out the best type of alimony and suggest an appropriate alimony sum, ultimately the decision will be up to the judge in your divorce proceeding. This means you need an attorney who knows how judges think. Torrence L. Howell has the skills and experience needed to help you understand what kind of alimony a judge is likely to award and how best to approach petitioning for that alimony. Call today for an initial consultation.

Your divorce attorney can help you seek or defend against modifications

Numerous documents are generated in a divorce, including agreements governing how the newly separated family will be organized and provided for financially. For example, your divorce might involve an alimony agreement for support of your ex-spouse, a child support agreement for support of your dependents, and a child custody agreement for outlining visitation and custody rights.
Your divorce attorney will have fought hard to ensure that all of these agreements were fair and served your interests as best as possible at the time of the divorce. But as time passes after the divorce and family circumstances change, you or your ex-spouse may find that the agreements no longer serve the best interests of all the parties involved. When this happens, modifications can be sought. As your divorce attorney, Torrence L Howell can help with this process no matter which side of the table you may be on. He can help you seek modifications or defend against your ex-spouse’s petitions for modifications in the following areas.

Alimony

Unless your divorce agreement specified transitional, temporary, or rehabilitative alimony, you may have to support your ex-spouse for the rest of their life. If changing circumstances do not warrant ongoing support, or the amount of the alimony is no longer appropriate, your divorce attorney can help. For example, if the spouse receiving the alimony remarries or gets a new, high-paying job or the spouse paying the support loses their job, the alimony agreement may need to be changed.

Child Support

Child support agreements may also need to be modified due to the changing financial circumstances of the parents. Another reason to seek modifications to a child support agreement is that the financial requirements for caring for the child have changed. For example, the child might require medical treatment or the parents might want to enroll the child in a private school, get private tutoring, send them to camp, etc. If the new expense is ongoing, a modification to the child support agreement can make it official.

Child Custody

Child custody agreements are always drafted with the best interests of the child in mind. This may mean denying custody or unsupervised visitation to an unfit parent. However, if the parent can mend their ways and prove they are now fit, it may be best for the child to allow increased contact with that parent. Conversely, if a previously fit parent develops a drug problem or is no longer able to provide a safe home, it may be best for the child to be removed from the care of that parent. In either case, a modification can be sought to make the appropriate changes to the custody agreement.

If you’re looking for an experienced attorney in Upland CA, consider Torrence L Howell. With over 18 years of experience in the private practice and special expertise in family and business law, Torrence L Howell has the skills and knowledge required to help you. Whether you require representation for a court case, assistance drafting a contract or agreement, or just some legal advice, you can call Torrence L Howell.

Tory’s Qualifications

Torrence L Howell earned his Law degree from the University of La Verne College of Law in 1995. He passed the Bar exam for California that same year and has been practicing in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties ever since. He also holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA from University of La Verne.

Torrence L Howell is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the San Bernardino County Bar Association, and the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association.

Child Custody and Child Support

As a parent himself, Torrence L Howell knows how important your children are to you. He can help you ensure their physical and emotional welfare during a divorce or custody battle by fighting for appropriate custody and support agreements. For example, he can help you deny custody or visitation to an unfit parent to protect your children from this inappropriate or even dangerous influence. He can also help you gain more access to your children if you are a non-custodial parent who deserves this right. Torrence L Howell also has a wealth of experience in child support cases in Upland CA and surrounding cities, and he can help you complete the California Child Support Calculation.

Family Business Law

Torrence L Howell’s background in business and accounting makes him an ideal choice for legal representation in business cases. Whether you are involved in business litigation, need to initiate or respond to a breach of contract dispute, or change the ownership structure of your business, he can help. He can also provide valuable insight into divorce cases involving family businesses.

Divorce and Related Issues

Of course, as an expert family law attorney Upland CA, Torrence L Howell has also seen countless divorce cases. He can provide the calm, level-headed representation you need during this emotionally charged period in your life and make sure you don’t accidentally forfeit your rights to property, assets, or child custody in an effort to get the divorce proceeding over with faster. You can trust Torrence L Howell to provide expert assistance with all of the issues related to your divorce, including alimony, child support, child custody, property division, and even restraining orders if needed.