Spousal support can be an acrimonious part of any divorce which is why it is helpful for divorcing couples to understand how it works. Spousal support sometimes goes by other names including alimony or spousal maintenance but whatever it is called, it refers to when one former spouse pays a certain amount of money to another former spouse which is why it can be of concern during a divorce.
In New York, property division during divorce is conducted according to equitable division principles which calls for property to be divided fairly and in a way that is equitable. Equitable property division does not necessarily mean that property will be divided in half but that it will be divided in a way that takes into account the circumstances of both parties and divides property fairly based on the situation.
If, for instance, one spouse had a career but the other spouse remained at home to take care of the household and children, the spouse with a career may be required to pay spousal maintenance to a lower-wage earning or non-wage earning former spouse. Spousal support is typically awarded for a period of time to allow the non-wage earning or lower-wage earning spouse to become self sufficient and is calculated based on a list of factors it is helpful for divorcing spouses to be familiar with.
Divorce can come with a variety of challenges and the issue of spousal support can be one of them which is why it is helpful for divorcing couples to understand how it is established and under what circumstances it may be modified. The more divorcing couples understand about the divorce process, the better prepared they will be to address divorce-related concerns such as spousal support.