Rehabilitative alimony is the one kind of alimony you should learn about if you think you’ll be expected to pay alimony to a spouse who did not work during your marriage. This kind of alimony is designed to help him or her as he or she learns a new trade or gets back into a normal workflow. The alimony isn’t unlimited, and it’s possible to limit it to only a year or two while your ex-spouse gets back on his or her feet.
Whether you’re the person paying or receiving payments, there’s information to know about temporary rehabilitative alimony. Here’s a little more about this possible award in a divorce case.
What is rehabilitative alimony in general?
The general purpose is to give your spouse time to adjust to life as a single person again. Once he or she is self-supporting and doesn’t need support, you can ask the court to stop requiring you to pay alimony. In many cases, there is a limit of time set, but if your spouse is already supporting him or herself, you could petition the court and ask to stop paying early.
It’s a good idea to set up a timeline or to have the court mandate a timeline, so you have an idea about how long you’ll pay this kind of alimony. Remember, the need for spousal support is something the court can review periodically, so that gives you a chance to petition for it to end if the other spouse is showing signs that he or she can support him or herself.
