Fairfax Spousal Support
If you are going through divorce, one of the long-term impacts of the divorce may be in regards to temporary or permanent spousal support, which is a monthly payment to the lower income spouse from the spouse with the higher income / wealth. Spousal support is not awarded in all marriages. And, in most cases, if spousal support is awarded, it is generally for a limited number of months or years—possibly only while the couple is going through divorce, or for a few years afterwards to help the lower income spouse obtain a stable income. Regardless of what side you are on—the spouse with the higher income, or the spouse with the lower income—it is in your best interest to seek the guidance of the Fairfax spousal support attorneys at Simms Showers to ensure that your rights are protected during your divorce.
Spousal Support is For Husbands and Wives
Alimony, also called spousal support, has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used alimony to help avoid feuds between families. More recently, alimony was used to help wives escape poverty, due to the fact that women were not allowed to work in most fields of employment until very recently. Even today, the earning difference between men and women is great. Over the course of a 40-year, full-time career, a white man will earn over half a million dollars more than a white woman. The gap is much larger for women of color. Spousal support can help narrow this earning gap, creating equity for women, many of whom hold down full-time jobs and do the majority of the housekeeping and child raising. However, spousal support can be obtained by husbands, as well as wives. More men than ever are seeking spousal support because gender roles have changed, albeit slowly, and hundreds of thousands of fathers are becoming the primary parent or homemaker while their wives assume the main breadwinning position.
Rehabilitative Spousal Support
Rehabilitative spousal support is used by the receiving spouse to pay for college, vocational training, or other education that can help them obtain higher-earning employment.
Temporary Spousal Support
Temporary spousal support is the most frequent type of spousal support awarded in marriages that lasted under 20 years. However, if the higher income spouse is wealthy, the lower income spouse’s ability to become self-sufficient is low, and/or the higher income spouse cheated during the marriage, a court may award permanent spousal support in marriages that lasted under 20 years.
Permanent Spousal Support
Permanent spousal support is awarded in long marriages, when the receiving spouse’s age or physical/mental ability limits them when it comes to employment, and in other scenarios that the court deems sufficient to create financial equity in the divorce.
Call a Fairfax Spousal Support Attorney Today
Spousal support can have an important and long-term impact on your future. To make sure the court gets it right, you need to work with an experienced Fairfax spousal support attorney who can accurately tell your side of the story. Contact Simms Showers today at 703-879-1364 to schedule a consultation.
