Smyrna Spousal Support Lawyer

Smyrna Spousal Support Attorney

Getting divorced can have long-term financial repercussions, not just in terms of assets gained or lost during the division of property but also in the form of spousal support. If you’ve been dependent on your spouse for financial support, you deserve to get the help you need to get back on your feet following the divorce. A Smyrna spousal support lawyer can help you get it.

Young Law Firm, LLC, has over four decades of experience in fighting for clients’ rights during divorces, and that often includes seeking spousal support payments. If you’re concerned about your financial situation following a divorce, you can trust our team to help. Call 707-795-9596 or contact us to discuss your options.

Hire a Spousal Support Lawyer in Smyrna

If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to support yourself financially following a separation from your spouse, you can hire a spousal support lawyer to help you seek alimony payments. In Georgia, alimony is not determined by set calculations, as is the case with child support. It’s up to the discretion of the judge. You need an experienced Smyrna spousal support attorney on your team who can make a solid case for receiving adequate payments. We can help.

Eligibility to Receive Spousal Support

Here in the Jonquil City, spousal support is not mandatory, or even particularly common. Alimony payments are designed to provide financial support to spouses who have been contributing non-monetarily to marriages and lack the means of achieving instant financial independence. Rather than equalizing a divorced couple’s finances, it ensures that both people are able to maintain a suitable lifestyle in keeping with that established during the marriage.

A judge determines whether one spouse in a divorcing couple will be eligible to receive alimony payments from the other. The court takes into account the financial circumstances of the marriage and each spouse, what each spouse contributed to the marriage, and whether both spouses will be capable of achieving financial independence upon finalizing the divorce. If you’re financially dependent on your spouse right now, you could be eligible for spousal support in Georgia.

Three Types of Alimony Payments

There are three basic types of alimony:

• Temporary alimony. The first type of spousal support payment is only in effect throughout the divorce proceedings. Temporary alimony stops once the divorce is finalized.
• Permanent alimony. There are some circumstances where permanent alimony is ordered as part of a divorce judgment. Permanent alimony doesn’t necessarily last for the rest of the recipient’s life. It’s called that because the spousal support order does not have a set end date.
• Rehabilitative support. Rehabilitative spousal support helps the recipient transition into a state of financial independence. In Georgia, rehabilitative support is considered a form of permanent alimony.

Factors That Affect Spousal Support Payments

Every year, the CDC estimates that 2.2 out of 1,000 Georgia residents get divorced. Given the population of Georgia, that equals out to around 24,000 marriages dissolved each year. Of those, around 10% lead to alimony payments.

Georgia’s spousal support laws don’t include set calculations for alimony payments. According to the US Census Bureau, the average single-earner family in Georgia pulls in $62,468 per year as of 2024. If your spouse makes more money than the median income and you make little to no money, you may be eligible for higher alimony payments. If they make less, your alimony payments may be lower.

Additional factors that influence how much spousal support cases are worth include what each party contributed financially and non-financially to the marriage and each spouse’s ability to maintain or obtain financial independence following the divorce.

FAQs

What Is the ⅓ Rule for Alimony?

The ⅓ rule for alimony is a common guideline used to determine spousal support payments. It involves adding together both spouses’ income, dividing it by three, and subtracting the lowest income from that number to determine potential alimony payments. This is just one way to determine spousal support. Ultimately, it’s up to the discretion of the court how much you will receive in alimony and for how long.

How Much Alimony Does a Wife Get in Georgia?

How much alimony a wife gets in Georgia depends on several factors, including the income of each spouse during the marriage, the length of the marriage and standard of living established during it, and the earning capacity of the person who will receive the spousal support. If you want to maximize your chances of getting adequate alimony payments following a divorce, hire a spousal support lawyer who can help.

How Long Do You Have to Pay Spousal Support in Georgia?

How long you have to pay spousal support in Georgia is determined by a judge. The judge will consider factors like the duration of the marriage and standard of living established during it, the age and health of each spouse, each spouse’s financial situation, and the ability of the person receiving spousal support to become self-sufficient following the marriage. In some cases, spousal support payments are permanent, but in most, they are temporary.

Is Spousal Support Mandatory in Georgia?

Spousal support is not mandatory in Georgia. The court will only grant alimony payments if it finds that one spouse is eligible to receive them. The judge will consider factors like the length of the marriage, the couple’s standard of living, each spouse’s financial resources and contributions to the marriage, and both parties’ age and health. In most cases, spousal support payments, when awarded, are temporary and intended to help the receiving spouse regain financial independence.

Contact a Smyrna Spousal Support Lawyer

If alimony is a contentious issue during your divorce, as is often the case, you need a spousal support lawyer in Smyrna who can help. Whether you’re seeking alimony payments or trying to keep the amount of spousal support you need to pay within a reasonable range, you can trust the team at Young Law Firm, LLC, to support your interests. Call 707-795-9596 or contact us online to schedule a free 30-minute initial consultation today.