After divorces are decided upon between couples, there are marital issues that need to be decided upon as well. This can include many factors revolving around money and assets, such as child support and the division of assets. Another factor is spousal support or alimony. With this concept, the dependent spouse will be established. This spouse may need financial assistance since they may not be able to support themselves after their marriage is dissolved. In the state of New Jersey, there are a few options for spousal support. These structures of support are influenced by the length of the marriage and the reason for the financial support. There are factors that can cause the amount of support being paid to change or stop altogether. These factors can include cohabitation, remarriage of the dependent spouse, the dependent spouse becoming financially independent or the payor spouse becoming unemployed or disabled.
Different Types of Alimony Structures
Open durational alimony was previously named as permanent alimony arrangement, but it is no longer called that since it may not be a permanent solution. There is no specific time frame for when these payments should stop being made. This form of payment is for married couples who have been together for longer periods of time. They should have had a marriage that lasted over 20 years to qualify for this type of alimony. For this category, modifications can be made during the open durational alimony to adjust the payment amounts or when they are due. Limited duration alimony is for married couples who were together for less than 20 years. Under New Jersey law, payments are not allowed to be made longer than the duration of the marriage.
For rehabilitative alimony, it is designed to support dependent parties who have delayed their career goals. The purpose of doing this was to support their spouse’s success during marriage and for the benefit of the family. This form of payment requires funds to pay for schooling or vocational training so that the dependent party has the opportunity to increase their earning capacity. Reimbursement alimony is a structure of support that includes payments to reimburse a spouse for financially supporting the family during marriage. This could have been due to their spouse’s pursuit of an education or some kind of vocational training.
Our firm proudly represents clients in New Jersey who are faced with matters of family law, criminal defense, business law, real estate law, or estate planning. If you require strong and dedicated representation for any of your legal matters, contact The Law Offices of George J. Mardinly to schedule a consultation.