Everyone who stands a chance to receive alimony is eager to get it, and everyone who stands to pay alimony is not eager to fulfill this financial responsibility. The thing is, these helpful payments are an important part of keeping marriages fair in our society. After all, what would happen if someone was trapped in a toxic marriage and was afraid to leave because he or she had no other way of obtaining financial support?
By creating laws to establish alimony rules and guidelines the state of Connecticut has done a great thing to protect spouses from being controlled and forced to endure a difficult situation by a so-called “moneyed” spouse. By virtue of state family laws, the lesser-moneyed spouse could qualify for spousal support when:
- The spouses were married for years instead of months. The longer the marriage lasted, the higher chance there will be of an alimony award.
- One spouse doesn’t work and doesn’t have the requisite skills and education to obtain a job that allows him or her to be financially independent.
- The quality of life enjoyed during marriage is unsustainable by the lesser-moneyed spouse.
- If the parents had children, there is the question of whether the lesser-moneyed spouse should refrain from getting a job in order to suitably care for the children.
- The moneyed spouse can afford to pay alimony.
If you can benefit from alimony, you might want to investigate whether it’s reasonable to request these payments during your divorce process. The legal team at our Hartford law firm can help you review whether your case could support an award for alimony.
