Guidelines For Spousal Maintenance
During the marriage, both spouses contributed to and shared the same standard of living. The concept behind spousal maintenance is that the accomplishments during the marriage were due to both spouses, not just the spouse who was employed. In Arizona, to determine a reasonable amount of maintenance to be awarded, the judge considers many factors. It is important to understand the rules and law pertaining to spousal maintenance so that you are prepared and don’t end up getting blind-sided if your matter goes to trial.
Guidelines for Spousal Maintenance in Arizona
Arizona spousal maintenance law include the duration of the marriage and the standard of living during the marriage. The earning ability and age of the spouse asking for maintenance and the capability of the other spouse to pay is also considered. Arizona spousal maintenance rules and guidelines are as follows:
- The Age, Physicality, Emotional Health and Finances of Spouses
- Time Length to Receive Training or Education for Self-Sufficiency
- Standard of Living
- Length of Marriage
How the Amount of Spousal Maintenance is Determined
The amount of a maintenance payment is determined by what the judge considers to be a reasonable reduction from the monthly income of the paying spouse and a reasonable monthly payment to the receiving spouse. Not every divorce case involves maintenance. You should speak to a lawyer about whether you have good legal reasons to request spousal maintenance before you file a petition for divorce.
If you have additional questions about spousal maintenance feel to give us a call.
