Most people look forward to that day when they will finally settle down with someone they love, get a bunch of kids and grow old together. This is, however, not the case for quite a number of married couples. Many are those who soon find themselves disillusioned and disappointed with the only solution being to leave the marriage. Divorce statistics in the country are startling, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is not too different. When you realize that things are just not working out, it might be a good idea to call in a Harrisburg divorce attorney and more so if the two of you cannot come to an amicable agreement.
Among the most important issues that a divorce lawyer will help you with is alimony. With their legal expertise, they will assist you get the money you are entitled to, from your spouse. In Pennsylvania, there are three types of alimony that you might want to familiarize yourself with as you seek to break away from an unpleasant union.
Spousal Support
This type of alimony refers to payments made to a spouse so as to enable him or her meet their day to day needs. A person can seek this type of alimony after becoming estranged and separating with their spouse (prior to divorce). This means that a spouse can benefit from the said payments even before the divorce process commences. The person may, however, be denied spousal support if they were cruel to their spouse, cheated or engaged in other forms of matrimony misconduct.
Alimony Pendente Lite (APL)
This type of alimony becomes available once the divorce process officially commences i.e. after filing a divorce petition. Unlike in the previous case, any allegations of misconduct cannot hinder a spouse from getting financial support. Provided the spouse seeking support is in need of financial assistance, he or she will be awarded APL. There are quite a number of calculations involved when awarding this type of alimony. Some of the variables include annual salary of both spouses and the number of children present.
Alimony
This is the financial support awarded after the divorce process has concluded. In this case, there are no extensive calculations to determine what a spouse is entitled to. Instead, the presiding judge will take into consideration a number of factors including the health status and age of both individuals among other things.
Changes may be made to an alimony agreement if circumstances change. For example, if the income of the paying spouse reduces, then the same will happen to the alimony and vice versa. According to state law, alimony payments should be terminated once the benefitting spouse enters into another marriage.
A Harrisburg divorce attorney can help you get the alimony you deserve. You really don’t have to weather this type of storm alone because, in most cases, things tend to get quite rough especially where a stubborn spouse is involved. When you hire a divorce lawyer, he or she will make it their work to fully take care of your interests. With the legal expertise of such a specialist, your spouse will find it impossible to leave you out in the cold both during separation and after divorce.