While alimony paid by the husband to the wife was once almost automatically included in every divorce, this is no longer the case here in Georgia as well as elsewhere in the United States. Family law courts are increasingly not awarding alimony to be paid to ex-wives. In some cases, the wives may even have to pay spousal support to their ex-husbands.
It can be challenging to transition to a lesser standard of living than what you enjoyed while you were one-half of a couple. That’s why judges frequently order rehabilitative alimony for a limited number of months or years. Its purpose is to ease the transition into a new life while also giving the recipient spouse time to return to school or acquire the skills to re-enter the workforce and become self-supporting.
Spousal support is also a way for the non-wage-earning spouse to achieve some parity after the marriage ends. This is particularly true when one spouse gives up or never pursues a career to rear the children and maintain the home. In marriages of long duration, this type of alimony could possibly be made permanent even though the courts are moving away from this concept.
Should you pursue spousal support in your divorce? Each case is different and must be weighed individually. You may prefer not to seek spousal support but instead to pursue a larger chunk of the retirement benefits. Spousal support often ends when the recipient remarries or cohabitates with a partner. Therefore, this decision should be made strategically with the guidance of your attorney if you plan on quickly settling down with a new partner.
