By definition, alimony is a specific amount of money ordered by a court to be paid by one spouse to the other. The term of payments can either be limited or indefinite and, traditionally, was designed to be paid by the husband to the wife. Historically, men were expected to support their families while women became homemakers. Today, everything has changed. With women now being a staple in the workforce, the courts have employed a new alimony-award system. Alimony, often referred to as maintenance, can now be granted to either spouse and is largely based on economic need. online Utah divorce
Whether you are seeking or being pursued for alimony, it is important to understand the different types and what they mean to you. Permanent alimony, which does still exist, is typically granted only if the awarded spouse is unlikely to gain employment in the future. Temporary alimony, on the other hand, is granted on the basis that the receiving spouse simply needs help in maintaining a certain quality of life throughout the divorce process. One example would be a marriage separation where one spouse immediately vacates the household and leaves the other to pay the mortgage and all other household expenses. In this case, a temporary alimony award may be granted, during the course of a marriage separation, in an effort to allow the receiving spouse to get back on his/her feet financially prior to the actual divorce being finalized