Spousal Maintenance

Spousal maintenance (commonly known as “alimony”) is a form of monthly monetary support that the spouse with higher earnings sometimes pays the other spouse. Maintenance is often one of the most hotly contested areas in a divorce or post-divorce matter. Whether you are the one seeking maintenance or the one who is being asked to pay it, you need an experienced attorney to represent your interests. Unlike child support, there is no formula for determining maintenance. Instead, whether or not there should be an award of maintenance and, if so, how much and for how long, are decisions that are made based on a number of factors and factual considerations. These factors include the length of the marriage, the parties’ ages and health, the educational backgrounds, work histories, current earning and ability to earn of each party, and others. The judge has a great deal of flexibility and discretion in deciding a maintenance claim and, therefore, having an attorney who is experienced and prepared is of paramount importance. Anne Schmiege not only has expertise in handling maintenance matters, but she approaches these cases with creativity, intelligence and logic in order to provide you with the best advice, and result, possible.