Want The Highest Spousal Maintenance Payments Possible? Check Out These Tips

Getting a divorce is stressful, but it's even more stressful if you rely on your partner for financial support and you aren't sure how you are going to survive financially after the divorce. If you're in this situation, there are a number of things you can do, with the help of your separation and divorce attorney, to increase your spousal maintenance payments. Try these tips.

1. Make Sure the Courts Know About All Income Sources

Generally, spousal maintenance or alimony is based on how much the other spouse earns. It's easy to account for wages, but if your ex has commission, dividends from investments, business income that is not on the books, or other sources of income that could be hidden, it's important to ensure that the courts know about this.

Talk with your lawyer about whether or not you need a forensic accountant or even a private investigator to unearth hidden sources of income.

2. Provide Proof That You Were Reliant on Your Spouse for Support

The courts make decisions about spousal support based on whether or not your spouse was responsible for your support. If you were both equally responsible for the family's financial upkeep, you may not qualify for any spousal support. Be prepared to prove to the courts that you were reliant on your spouse.

3. Argue That You Supported the Family Business

If you have a family business, you need to make sure that gets split fairly during the divorce, but on top of that, you may need to take steps to prove how you contributed to the business. In particular, if your spouse was the only one to run the business, he or she may argue that he or she is entitled to full ownership and all income.

In that case, you need to prove how you supported the family (taking care of children, cooking, etc) while your spouse was focused on the business. Then, based on that, you may demand a stake in the business or extra spousal maintenance.

4. Tie in Child Support Payments

Are you taking primary custody of the children? If so, you may be able to tie in child support with spousal maintenance payments. Even if you and your ex have split custody, you may want to argue that your children need to maintain a relatively equal quality of living at both parents homes, and because of that, you need higher support payments.

5. Hire a Quality Divorce and Separation Lawyer

To help make all of the above arguments, you need a lawyer who is experienced with this realm of law. Contact a separation and divorce attorney to learn more.

About Me

Learning about Legal Contracts

Hello, I am Miranda Parker. Welcome to my website about legal contracts and paperwork. When I was going through my divorce, and subsequent bankruptcy, I was given an incredible number of legal contracts and paperwork to fill out and sign. The documents gave my attorneys that opportunity to represent me in court and fight for the items that were important to me. On this site, I will explore the purpose of each type of legal contract in great detail. I will talk about the best practices you can use when faced with a pile of legal paperwork to handle. Thank you for visiting my website.

Search

Categories

Latest Posts

27 March 2024
When it comes to handling the complexities of estate planning, wills, and probate processes, trusting a probate lawyer can provide you with peace of m

7 February 2024
Car accidents can have a major negative impact on your life, resulting in serious injuries, trauma, and financial burdens. If you've been involved in

16 November 2023
Going to jail is a stressful and unpleasant experience. Fortunately, there are ways to expedite your release, and one of these is by using bail bond s