Tualatin Alimony Attorney

Protect Your Financial Future

When couples get divorced, it is not uncommon for one spouse to experience a significant decrease in income. For example, one spouse may have been the primary earner, while the other spouse stayed home to care for the household. Regardless of the situation, the law allows for the lower-earning spouse to request support from the other spouse, also known as alimony or spousal support.

Contact our Tualatin spousal support attorney at JMH Law by calling (503) 386-0651 today for a consultation.

Types of Spousal Support

There are several types of spousal support the court may award, including:

• Transitional: This type of support is typically awarded for a short duration to help the lower-earning spouse transition into single life. It is often used to cover expenses such as housing and job training.
• Compensatory: Compensatory support is awarded to a spouse who helped support the other spouse while they attended school or received training to further their career. It is intended to compensate the supporting spouse for the time and resources they invested in the other spouse's education or training.
• Rehabilitative: Rehabilitative support is awarded to a spouse who needs additional education or training to reenter the workforce or advance their career. The spouse requesting this type of support must have a specific plan for how they will use the support to become self-sufficient.
• Spousal Maintenance: This is the most common type of spousal support and is often awarded in long-term marriages. The court may order one spouse to pay the other a certain amount of money each month for an indefinite period. The purpose of this type of support is to help the lower-earning spouse maintain a similar standard of living to what they enjoyed during the marriage.

How Is Spousal Support Calculated?

Unlike child support, there is no formula for calculating spousal support in Oregon. The court will consider a variety of factors when determining whether to award spousal support and how much to award, including:

• The length of the marriage
• The financial needs of each spouse
• The ability of each spouse to meet their financial needs
• The age and health of each spouse
• The standard of living the couple enjoyed during the marriage
• The earning capacity of each spouse
• The contributions each spouse made to the marriage
• Whether one spouse made significant contributions to the other spouse's education or career
• The tax consequences of an award of spousal support

Can Spousal Support Be Modified?

Spousal support can be modified or terminated if there has been a substantial change in circumstances. This means that the financial needs or ability of either spouse to pay support have changed since the original support order was entered.

For example, if the spouse receiving support has obtained a job making significantly more money, the court may reduce or terminate the support obligation. Similarly, if the spouse paying support has experienced a significant decrease in income, the court may reduce the support obligation.

Spousal support may also be modified if the spouse receiving support is cohabitating with another person. Whether cohabitation will affect a support obligation will depend on the specific circumstances of the case.

Can Alimony Be Enforced?

Spousal support is a court-ordered obligation. If the spouse ordered to pay support fails to do so, the other spouse can go to court to enforce the support order. In some cases, the court may hold the paying spouse in contempt of court. This means that the paying spouse can be fined or even jailed for failing to comply with the support order.

There are also other ways to enforce a support order. For example, the court may garnish the paying spouse's wages. This means that the support payments will be automatically deducted from the paying spouse's paycheck and sent to the other spouse.

How a Tualatin Alimony Lawyer Can Help

Securing fair alimony arrangements is a critical aspect of navigating a divorce, and having a dedicated and experienced Tualatin alimony lawyer on your side can make all the difference. Whether you are seeking alimony or contesting a request, The Law Office of Joseph M. Harder is committed to advocating for your best interests and ensuring that your financial future is protected.

Contact our Tualatin alimony attorney by calling (503) 386-0651 today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward a secure and equitable resolution.