What is Permanent Alimony
Have you ever wondered what permanent alimony really means in a divorce settlement? At TheBostonDivorceLawyer, our experienced lawyers will break down the complexities of this financial support arrangement. Learn more about how permanent alimony could impact your future by reading our informative article.
As indicated in Black’s Law Dictionary, permanent alimony is a court-ordered provision for financial support to a spouse after divorce that lasts indefinitely. It is paid regularly and can only be modified or terminated by court order.
Definition
This type of alimony is usually given when one spouse earns much less or gave up their career or education to support the other spouse during the marriage. The goal of permanent alimony is to help the recipient keep a similar standard of living to what they had during the marriage.
Unlike other types of alimony that may be temporary or for a short-term purpose, permanent alimony is meant to be paid indefinitely or until certain conditions change, like the recipient remarrying or either spouse passing away. Believe it or not, the amount of permanent alimony is typically based on factors like how long the marriage lasted, the financial needs of the recipient, and whether the paying spouse can support themselves while also making these payments.
Permanent alimony aims to give financial stability to the recipient, especially if they can’t become self-sufficient due to age, health issues, or lack of job skills. It seeks to balance out any financial differences between the spouses after a divorce, helping both to move forward with their lives fairly.
Purpose
Permanent alimony is financial support given to a spouse with much lower income or earning ability compared to their partner. This helps the lower-earning spouse keep a similar lifestyle to what they had during the marriage.
Permanent alimony is usually given when one spouse has not worked for a long time—maybe they raised children or helped with their spouse’s career—and now finds it hard to be financially independent. The goal is to balance the financial situation between both spouses after divorce, so they can both live comfortably.
Let me explain, the amount of permanent alimony depends on several things, like how long the marriage lasted, each spouse’s income and ability to earn money, and their lifestyle during the marriage. The idea is to make sure both spouses can move on and live financially stable lives after the divorce.
Unlike temporary alimony, which supports a spouse until they can support themselves through education or job training, permanent alimony is a long-term solution. Its purpose is to give ongoing financial help to a spouse who can’t support themselves due to circumstances from the marriage.
Duration
Basically, the main goal of permanent alimony is to give ongoing financial help to a spouse who might struggle to support themselves after a divorce. Unlike other types of alimony, permanent alimony usually doesn’t have an end date and is meant to be paid indefinitely.
How long permanent alimony lasts depends on several things, like how long the marriage lasted, the financial needs of the spouse receiving the money, and the ability of the spouse paying alimony to meet those needs. Sometimes, permanent alimony is set for a specific time, such as until the receiving spouse remarries or reaches a certain age.
Other times, it lasts until either spouse dies.
Permanent alimony can also change if there are significant changes in either spouse’s financial situation. For example, it might be modified or stopped if the receiving spouse can support themselves or if the paying spouse faces financial difficulties.
In short, permanent alimony aims to provide long-term financial support to a spouse in need after a divorce. Both spouses must understand their rights and duties regarding permanent alimony, including any limits on how long the payments will continue.
Income
Income is important when deciding how much alimony will be given in a divorce.
Permanent alimony is a continuous payment from one ex-spouse to the other. It usually lasts until the person receiving it remarries or dies. The goal of permanent alimony is to help the spouse with a lower income keep living a similar lifestyle to what they had during the marriage.
To decide the amount of permanent alimony, the court looks at different factors, including the incomes of both spouses. If you think about it, the spouse with the higher income might have to pay some of their earnings to the spouse with the lower income. This is so both can cover their expenses after the divorce.
Sometimes, the court will also consider what each spouse might earn in the future. This is common if one spouse is likely to earn much more later because of career growth or more education.
In short, income is a big factor in figuring out permanent alimony. By looking at both spouses’ incomes, the court aims to make sure the lower-earning spouse is supported financially even after the divorce.
Modification
You know, the goal of alimony is to help the recipient keep a lifestyle similar to what they had during the marriage.
However, life circumstances can change after alimony is decided, and it might be necessary to change the terms. This can happen if either person’s financial situation changes a lot. For example, if the person paying alimony loses their job or earns less money, they might ask to pay less. Conversely, if the person receiving alimony starts earning more or becomes financially stable, the payer might request to reduce or stop the payments.
Frankly, to change a permanent alimony arrangement, the person asking for the change must show that there has been a big and unexpected change in their situation. This could be things like job loss, health problems, or financial difficulties. Both people usually need to provide proof of these changes for a court to consider altering the alimony agreement.
In short, modifying permanent alimony allows for adjustments by considering the changing financial situations of either party.
Bringing it All Together
Permanent alimony is a form of financial support that is awarded to a spouse after a divorce to provide for their ongoing needs.
What TheBostonDivorceLawyers is finding useful to is, unlike rehabilitative alimony, which is intended to help a spouse get back on their feet, permanent alimony is typically awarded when one spouse is unable to become self-sufficient. This long-term financial assistance ensures that both parties can maintain a similar standard of living post-divorce.
