Alimony Divorce Lawyer in Columbia, MD

When you are considering a divorce, a lot can depend on whether you know you’ll have the financial means to support yourself while you are separated, and after the divorce is final. Alimony in Maryland can help, but it isn’t awarded in every case. To reach a fair alimony award or settlement you will need to work with a knowledgeable divorce and alimony lawyer, who can advocate on your behalf.

What Maryland Alimony Laws Mean for You

Alimony, sometimes referred to as spousal support, is money paid by one current or former spouse to the other current or former spouse, to help them maintain the standard of living they established during the marriage. It may be awarded to either spouse in a Maryland divorce and can help a stay-at-home parent or dependent spouse reestablish their professional career and become self-supporting.

There are three types of alimony in Maryland :

• Pendente lite alimony is awarded on a temporary basis after a divorce is filed until that divorce is finalized. The goal is to maintain the financial “status quo” of both parties while the case is pending.
• Rehabilitative alimony is awarded for a set period of time (i.e. 12 months, 5 years) after the divorce is final. The goal is to provide support for the receiving spouse while they complete education, get certifications, or reenter the workforce.
• Indefinite alimony is awarded on an ongoing basis after the divorce is final until the receiving spouse dies or gets remarried. The goal is to provide for a party who is unable to support themselves because of their health, age, or work history.

Calculating Alimony In Maryland Divorce Cases

Unlike child support, there is no formula or Maryland alimony calculator that will apply to every case. Instead, a court’s decision about whether to award alimony is much more subjective. The Maryland Code lays out several factors for the court to consider in deciding whether alimony is appropriate:

• The ability of the receiving party to be self-supporting
• The time necessary to complete training or education to become self-supporting
• The length of the marriage
• Each party’s monetary and non-monetary contributions to the family’s well-being during the marriage
• What caused the breakdown of the marriage
• Each party’s age
• Each party’s mental and physical health
• The paying party’s ability to pay and still support themself
• Any agreement between the parties
• The financial needs and resources of each party

Many of these factors leave a lot to the court’s interpretation. If your divorce goes to trial, your divorce lawyer will need to present evidence on each factor, to advocate for a fair duration and amount of alimony, based on your situation.

Alimony in Maryland Divorce Settlement Agreements

Instead of leaving this important detail to the court, you and your spouse may work together through mediation, negotiation, or collaborative divorce to decide what alimony scenario makes sense in your case. Your alimony lawyer can help you get a clear picture of your family’s financial situation and what you will need to support yourself as you move toward independence. Then you and your spouse can make a plan for how both parties will meet their financial needs in the years to come.