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Whatever your situation, you must first understand the maintenance basicswhat maintenance is exactly, when it is appropriate, and how customary guidelines will determine what happens to you. |
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In a nutshell, maintenance is financial support that one spouse provides to the other in the event of divorce. Maintenance is determined, in large measure, by the laws of the state where you live. Some basic rules, however, are virtually universal: |
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A wife can pay her husband alimony and vice versa. Gone are the days when only husbands paid wives support. |
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Most payments stop when the recipient remarries or dies, although there can be cases where payments are for life. |
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Although you can negotiate otherwise, the payments are usually tax deductible to the person who pays them and considered taxable income by the recipient. Stated another way, what you receive may be reduced by virtue of taxes, whereas your payments may cost you less when the tax deduction is figured in. |
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Facing the Albatross: The Unpleasant Reality of Maintenance |
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It's understandable that maintenance can be a key cause of resentment following divorce, especially when it must be sustained for years. Except for the very wealthy, helping to support not just one household, but two, is an extraordinary burden. For the one receiving the payments, meanwhile, the reality of a restricted lifestyle and dependency on an ex-spouse can be onerous, indeed. |
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