What are Atlanta’s Alimony Laws? What Do They Entail?

money on the table with alimony wordA divorce can not only disrupt the structure of your family. It can also severely and negatively impact your finances.

To protect you from destitution, your state may allow you to file for and receive alimony during and after the divorce. You can find out more about your options by retaining one of the competent Atlanta divorce attorneys from the Fuller Law Group today.

 

Understanding the State’s Alimony Laws

Before you file a motion for alimony, you need to understand your state’s laws for it. These laws stipulate for how long and how much that you can receive alimony. You need to be aware of these facts to determine if it would be worth your time and effort to ask the court to award it to you.

You typically are eligible for alimony if you have been married for at least 10 years. By law, your spouse may have to pay you alimony for a third of the time that you were married. If you were married for 12 years, for example, your spouse may be obligated to pay you alimony for at minimum four years.

You also are typically entitled to at least a fourth of your spouse’s income, depending on how much he or she earns. If your spouse is a low-income earner, he or she may not have the means to pay alimony to you. However, if he or she has disposable income, your spouse could be ordered to pay you a sum that will not exceed a fourth of his or her wages or salary.

Alimony may also be ordered if you earn significantly less than your spouse and need it to attain a reasonable living situation after the divorce. If you earn more than your spouse, however, the judge may decide that you do not qualify for alimony payments.

Learn more about your state’s alimony laws by hiring one of the Atlanta divorce attorneys. Call the Fuller Law Group now.