When Amber walked down the aisle eight years ago, she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with Marcus. After their second child came along four years ago, they decided that Amber should leave her job as a product manager to take care of the children full time while Marcus continued working as a sales manager. Life didn’t work out the way Amber had hoped. She and Marcus drifted apart.
Now, Amber feels that divorce is inevitable, but she worries about her finances. She knows that Marcus would be required to pay child support if she has primary custody of the children, but what about her expenses? She knows it will be hard to get back into the job field and that she might need to return to school to receive more training.
Amber’s story might sound similar to yours. If you are considering divorce, you may wonder how you will be able to maintain your lifestyle as a single woman, especially if you are not currently working. This is exactly why alimony (also called spousal support or spousal maintenance) was created. When you get divorced, in most states a judge can order your spouse to make payments to you for a while to help you get back on your feet as you re-establish yourself on your new path.
Do you qualify for alimony? That depends on a lot of different factors.