Will Alimony Be a Part of Your Divorce?
At Dwire Law Offices in Lakeville, Minnesota, attorney Todd Dwire offers a free initial consultation to discuss whether alimony (also known as spousal support or maintenance) may be a part of your divorce.
Two Types of Alimony
There are two types of alimony in Minnesota:
- Permanent maintenance, which is paid when there is doubt in the mind of the court as to whether a party can become self-sufficient due to a variety of factors
- Temporary or rehabilitative maintenance, which is paid for a finite period of time until the party can support himself or herself
Unlike child support, which is driven by statutory guidelines, there is definitive no way to determine whether one party is entitled to alimony, and whether that support would be permanent or temporary. Instead, the court will consider a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the length of marriage, age of the parties, education, work experience, demonstrated need, ability to pay and the lifestyle enjoyed during the marriage.
Opposing Lawyers Often Disagree About Alimony
Advising clients about alimony is a challenge because good lawyers can respectfully agree to disagree about how much one party should pay the other, for what length of time or whether alimony is even appropriate.
Similarly, there is no way a lawyer can advise what a judge will do, because every judge is different and often you don't know which judge will hear your divorce case.
Modifications of Alimony
Alimony orders are sometimes accompanied by a Karon waiver, which shuts the door for one or both parties to modify or terminate alimony. Absent a Karon waiver, alimony can be changed if there is a substantial change in circumstances.
Free Lawyer Consultation
To discuss your spousal maintenance or support case with Lakeville attorney Todd Dwire, call 952-232-0179 or fill out the contact form on this site.
