In many marriages, one spouse earns more income than the other. While this may work during the marriage, it can cause issues if the couple gets a divorce.
Maryland courts often award alimony in a divorce involving spouses with significant differences in income. There are several types of alimony available to spouses in Maryland including:
- Pendente lite: Alimony awarded on a temporary basis until the divorce is finalized.
- Permanent: Alimony awarded to support a spouse who is unable to earn enough income on their own due to age, illness or disability. A person may also be entitled to permanent alimony if their standard of living is significantly lower than their spouse’s.
- Rehabilitative: Alimony awarded to support a spouse as he or she works toward becoming more financially independent by furthering their education or acquiring additional job skills.
Before awarding alimony, courts will consider many factors to determine the type, duration, and amount of the alimony payments. In Maryland, these factors include:
- Length of the marriage (longer marriages generally result in more alimony)
- Standard of living during the marriage
- Age and health of both parties
- Financial status/income of both parties
- Ability of spouses to earn income
- Contributions made by each spouse during the marriage
Alimony is one significant issue that may arise, but child custody, property division, and child support may also be a part of your divorce proceedings. Once all issues have been addressed, the court will enter an order finalizing the divorce. Either party may be able to modify the order by filing a petition with the court, but modifications are generally only granted if there is a significant change in circumstances.