Some Illinois residents might be curious about how spousal support works. To avoid negative economic consequences after a divorce, a spouse who earns no wages or less wages may be entitled to financial assistance from the other spouse.
When a couple is divorcing, they first must address property division. After a plan for dividing assets and debts is arranged, there is a clearer picture of whether spousal support is needed. Various factors influence the amount one receives like the length of the marriage, the age and health of both partners, lifestyle during the marriage, non-marital assets and whether the couple has minor children. The ability of the spouse providing alimony to pay is also a factor as well as the needs of the recipient.
Rehabilitative maintenance might be awarded after a divorce. This is temporary spousal support that helps a party take steps to become financially independent, and the recipient of this aid could take classes to advance in a given profession, go back to school or search for a job.
An end date could be set when finalizing spousal support payments, but support could conclude early if the recipient remarries or one of the parties dies. A couple might wish to discuss getting a life insurance policy for the person paying alimony in order to ensure the recipient still gets financial assistance if the payer passes away.
In addition to spousal support, family law often involves other issues like child custody and support. Along with figuring out property division, parents must also make decisions about child custody before creating an arrangement for alimony and child support. Sharing joint residential custody could have an impact on support payments, and one may wish to consult an attorney when making these arrangements.