Spousal maintenance (alimony in Arizona) is awarded in many divorce cases — sometimes as rehabilitative alimony and sometimes as indefinite alimony. To understand whether your divorce is likely to include spousal maintenance, talk to an experienced family law attorney at the R. J. Peters & Associates law firm in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Spousal maintenance (sometimes called alimony) is money paid by one spouse to the other as part of the divorce decree, or on a temporary basis while the divorce is pending. Spousal maintenance is paid separately from child support and is not a substitute for, or a supplement to, child support payments.
Alimony in Arizona, or spousal maintenance, can be agreed to between the parties, or decided by the Judge. If left up to the Judge, the Judge will consider:
Spousal maintenance payments are taxable income to the receiving spouse and tax deductible by the paying spouse.
An order for spousal maintenance is generally for a specific period of time and is ordered so that the spouse who is receiving support has time to prepare for financial independence. Spousal maintenance ends when the spouse who receives the support remarries, dies, or when the amount of time for which it is ordered is over.
Not every divorce case involves spousal maintenance. If you have questions about whether you are likely to pay or receive alimony, contact a family law attorney.
We take sides at the R. J. Peters & Associates law firm. This is an important concept that we do not take lightly. Settlement of the difficult issues which arise in family law matters is always an important effort, but not always possible. We focus on fighting for our clients whether in settlement efforts or in litigation. Our only business is family law. From our office located near downtown Phoenix, we represent clients in Maricopa County and throughout Arizona.