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Spousal Support (Alimony) Attorneys
in Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange County
One spouse may be entitled to receive spousal support (California courts no longer refer to
spousal support as Alimony even though most individuals still commonly refer to it as
"Alimony") from the other spouse commencing from the date of separation, or from when the
request is made, and continuing until further court order. Whether or not spousal support
is awarded is a complex issue and involves numerous factors. Some of the more important
factors are the length of the marriage, the supported spouse’s need for support, the paying
spouse’s ability to pay, the age and health of the parties, the skill levels of the parties
and ability to earn, and the present income and historical income of the parties.
The underlying questions are the ability of one party to pay spousal support, the need of
the other party for spousal support, and the ability of each spouse to be self-supporting.
The parties may agree to an amount and duration of spousal support or may even agree to a
lump-sum buyout. If the parties cannot agree, the court will make orders for the amount and
length of spousal support, or may reserve the issue, or terminate either or both of the
parties' rights to receive support.
In California, if a marriage is one of less than ten (10) years spousal support will
generally last half the length of the marriage. The length of the marriage is calculated
from the date of the marriage to the date of separation of the parties. If the marriage is
longer than ten (10) years (commonly referred to as a marriage of long duration), spousal
support may last until the remarriage of the supported spouse, the death of either party,
or further court order. In most marriages of ten (10) years or longer, it is possible that
spousal support may last indefinitely.
The issue of Spousal support should not be taken lightly and divorcing couples should seek
legal advice in order to understand their rights or obligations under California Law. As
such, getting early advice by one of our experienced family law attorneys can greatly
impact the ultimate result.
For more information and a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys
call us at 1-800-589-9901.
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