Either spouse can request alimony payments in a Pennsylvania divorce. Whether you’re requesting alimony or want to know how much you might pay, it’s crucial to understand how the courts calculate these payments and how long they might last.
While either spouse can request alimony during divorce proceedings, the courts do not have to award it. Judges examine many factors to determine whether someone will receive alimony payments after a divorce. Some factors Pennsylvania law requires judges to consider in these decisions include:
- The length of the marriage
- Each spouse’s age
- Each spouse’s mental and physical health
- Each spouse’s relative income and ability to earn a living
- Each spouse’s insurance, retirement, medical, or other benefits
- How serving as the custodial parent of any minor children will affect a spouse’s ability to work
- Both spouses’ standards of living at the time of the divorce
- Each spouse’s contributions to the other’s training, education, or increased earning potential
- Each spouse’s assets and debts
- What property each spouse brought to the marriage
- Each spouse’s education and how long it might take the spouse seeking alimony to get the training or education necessary to find suitable work
- Marital misconduct by either or both spouses, if any (e.g., adultery)
- The potential tax implications of alimony payments
- Each spouse’s contributions to raising any children from the marriage or maintaining the family home
If the courts decide to award alimony payments, they must also determine how long the payments will last. Generally speaking, longer marriages tend to result in longer alimony duration. Finally, permanent alimony awards are rare in Pennsylvania, and alimony payments end if the receiving spouse remarries.
Contact a Pennsylvania Divorce Lawyer Today
If you have questions about spousal alimony in Pennsylvania, Attorney Dawn K. Gull can provide the answers and robust legal representation you need. Call the Law Offices of Dawn K. Gull now or complete our contact form for a consultation.