Alimony in New Jersey: What you Need to Know

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• Alimony is rarely one size fits all and is
  customized for every divorcing couple. Many
  factors come into play during a courts decision
  as to which party should pay alimony in a
  divorce. There are several types of alimony, and
  it helps to have a professional advocate at your
  side when navigating this process. Attorneys
  experienced in family law and family financial
  matters can handle your alimony proceedings.

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• The length of a marriage is one factor when
  determining alimony, as is the age of both
  parties. Similarly, the health of both parties,
  and therefore their future earning potential, has
  a say in a courts decision. Other factors that
  may influence alimony proceedings include each
  spouses work history, education, and more.

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• Alimony is essentially the idea that when your
  marriage ends, both spouses should be able to go
  on living as they were before the divorce. The
  person with the most income will likely have to
  share that income with their spouse. The standard
  of living in a marriage is the description of how
  you lived as a married pair, and certainly varies
  from couple to couple. For some, this involves
  multiple homes, cars, and vacations other
  couples have less capital to handle in a divorce.

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• Each spouse's ability to sustain a similar
  standard of living is a factor considered during
  alimony proceedings. This includes their career
  history and ability to retain further education,
  if needed. Also, length of time away from the job
  market, if applicable, will be considered in
  alimony proceedings in New Jersey.

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• This form of alimony often arises in the
  situation where one spouse supports the other
  while he or she is working on receiving a degree.
  In the case of divorce soon after a degree is
  received, a court may award reimbursement alimony
  to the benefactor of the education costs. As time
  goes on, however, the likelihood of reimbursement
  alimony diminishes. Still, the paying spouse may
  be able to receive part of the value of the
  degree in equitable distribution of the marital
  assets.

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• For spouses who have been out of the workforce,
  rehabilitative alimony is financial support that
  is provided for a short period of time so the
  recipient can adjust. This type of alimony will
  allow the divorced spouse time to "rehabilitate"
  him or herself financially. After a divorce is
  finalized, the judge will award rehabilitative
  alimony to be paid until unique criteria are met,
  such as remarriage and/or gaining employment.
  Despite the seemingly cruel label,
  "rehabilitative" does not imply personal fault
  and has been used as a legal term for decades.

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• Limited duration alimony is paid for a unique
  period of time the alimony terminates upon
  completion. This form of alimony usually exists
  when the marriage was not long enough to justify
  long-term alimony. Amount of limited duration
  alimony and length varies based on many personal
  factors, like marital assets and work history.

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• This form of alimony was usually awarded in
  situations where both parties were married for
  significant length before the divorce. In most
  cases, permanent alimony ws awarded when one
  spouse was financially dependent on the other
  during the marriage. However, New Jersey governor
  Chris Christie recently signed a bill that will
  limit payments to the length of any marriage that
  lasts less than 20 years and end most alimony
  support after the paying spouse retires.

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• Located in Nutley, New Jersey, The Micklin Law
  Group is dedicated to meeting the needs of their
  clients using personalized service and expert
  counsel. They pride themselves on efficient and
  frequent communication designed to help clients
  faced with often-overwhelming legal tasks. Unlike
  large firms where clients are just a number, The
  Micklin Law Group follows every detail of a case
  from beginning to end.
• To learn more, please call 973-562-0100 or visit
  http//micklinlawgroup.com/.

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Sources

• http//micklinlawgroup.com/family-law/spousal-supp
  ort/

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Summary

• Alimony varies state by state in the United
  States. In NJ, there are four common types of
  alimony. A judges decision in awarding alimony
  depends on many factors, several of which are
  outlined in this presentation.