If you are facing a divorce, one of the things you might have to consider is the issue of alimony. If you are a stay-at-home parent or have a job with less pay than your spouse and need support to make sure you can live with a similar lifestyle following your divorce, then it may be necessary to ask for alimony.
There are people who make the mistake of waiving alimony when they should really get it, and those individuals may look back later and be frustrated over their choices. If you think that there’s any possibility that you may need spousal support in the future, it’s important to take a hard look at your anticipated post-divorce budget.
When you break down your budget, you should see if you have enough income to support yourself following your divorce. Your attorney can help you understand what assets and debts you’re likely to carry away from the divorce, so you have a solid idea of what you’ll have to work with financially.
After you have a basic budget, you should be able to tell if you have a gap between what you have and need or if there is a specific amount of support that you’d need to live in a similar manner to how you did during your marriage. Of course, if your spouse is paying support, you may not be able to live the exact same kind of lifestyle, but the goal is to make things fairer for you following the divorce.
Your attorney will talk to you about what kind of lifestyle you are looking to have after your divorce and the kind of support that you may be able to request. Spousal support could be beneficial as you move forward, even if it’s temporary.