If you are currently ready to file for divorce and will be receiving custody of your kids, you may want to find out more information about spousal support as you proceed with this event. Spousal support can be extremely helpful for a spouse who will be caring for their kids and does not have a good and effective means to support the kids and themselves. If you are not sure what this is or if you would qualify, here are several things to know about it.
The purpose of spousal support
The first thing to understand is that spousal support is not equivalent to child support. Child support is designed to ensure that both parents are providing for the needs of the children involved in the case, while spousal support is designed more for caring for the spouse's needs in a divorce. Spousal support helps the spouse that either does not earn any money or that earns very little money to get through for a period of time. This period of time allows that spouse the opportunity to better themselves in a way that will help that person provide for themselves without receiving the support from the other spouse. In some states, this money is called alimony.
Factors that affect your ability to qualify for it
When you seek a divorce, you will not automatically be granted spousal support. Instead, you must request it and then get approved for it. To get approved, you must meet some conditions, and it is important to know that every state may have different laws and rules relating to this.
In most situations, one of the biggest factors in this decision is the amount of earnings capacity the spouse has compared to the other. If you, for example, have no college education and no special skills, you might have no way to support yourself at this time, and this would likely help you qualify for spousal support. Additionally, you may qualify easier if you have some type of physical or emotional impairment that prevents you from working.
The length of time you were married also matters, as most states will not award spousal support for spouses that were in short-term marriages.
Getting approved for spousal support is not usually an easy task, but it is possible if you meet the right conditions. You should know, too, that hiring a divorce attorney for help could increase your chances of getting approved for this.
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