Spousal Maintenance

Need assistance with spousal maintenance? Our experienced Duluth, MN family lawyer is here to guide you through the process. When a marriage comes to an end, one of the parties may need to receive continued financial support in order to live. This is frequently referred to as spousal maintenance, spousal support, or alimony.

It used to be the husband who would pay spousal support to his ex wife, but many households are dual-income and that has resulted in the highest earning spouse paying spousal support to the other.

If you are facing a divorce and you need assistance, a Duluth spousal support attorney can help you. You will receive guidance in spousal support matters, as well as other issues such as child custody, child support, property division, and much more.

Spousal Support

There are different types of spousal support (maintenance). First, it can be temporary or it can be permanent. Spousal maintenance will end after a certain amount of time, which is usually just long enough for the receiving party to build a healthy enough income to sustain their way of life. If spousal maintenance is permanent, then it will usually not cease until the receiving party dies, remarries, or the court finds reason to terminate it at a later date.

To determine what type of spousal maintenance a person will receive, the court looks at a number of factors, such as the receiving party’s earning potential, education, ability to get a promotion on their job, and a number of other factors. Regardless of what side of the matter you are on, your Duluth divorce attorney will help you through it every step of the way.

Helping You Make Informed Decisions

Your spousal support attorney will advise you from the beginning what the possibilities are, what options are available to you, and the expected outcome of each option. This will help you make informed decisions that will give you a favorable outcome in your divorce case.

When it comes to spousal maintenance, the court will have to determine the amount of money the paying party will have to pay. Some of the factors the court considers include:

• The financial resources of the party seeing payment. This means looking at marital property, the ability of a person to meet their own needs, and if there is a child living within the home.
• The time that is needed to acquire a sufficient education or training in order to become self-sufficient.
• The standard of living that was established during the marriage.
• How long the marriage lasted and, if the one seeking payment is a homemaker, how much time they were absent from employment.
• The loss of earning capacity due to not being employed for a long period of time.
• The age and emotional and physical state of the spouse seeking payment.
• The contribution of each party to the acquisition, depreciation, and preservation of marital property, as well as the homemaker’s contribution to the household so the other party could further their business or employment.

Once all of these factors are evaluated, the payment amount is determined and the length of time that payment will be made to the receiving party is decided upon.

Contact A Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin Spousal Support Lawyer

Spousal support is a very important issue during a divorce. When one spouse is unable to maintain their way of life after divorce due to lack of employment or earning capacity, spousal support is the solution. If you are facing divorce in Minnesota and Wisconsin, an experienced divorce attorney will help you address issues, such as spousal support. To learn more, contact the Benjamin Kaasa Law Office, PLLC in Duluth, MN at 218-464-3397 for a free consultation.

Contact Us