Spousal Support

The Fathers’ Rights Association of New York State

At the beginning of the divorce process, the dependant spouse may be in need of spousal support. Spousal support is a specified amount of money that is paid from one spouse to another for a period of time. In New York, once spousal support has been established it will usually take a petition and court proceedings in order to alter the amount or length of time. Once the spouses divorce or become legally separated, the spousal support agreement may remain in place unless it is specifically changed.

If you are a father going through a divorce or legal separation, a Long Island father’s rights lawyer can help. You may be facing paying spousal support and child support or may need to seek these from your spouse. You may also need assistance with maintenance following a divorce. Having knowledge about these things and having the support of peers as well as resource materials will only benefit you in the long run. The Fathers’ Rights Association of New York State can help you.

Fathers’ rights are a relatively new concept and therefore aggressive representation is a must if you want to have the chance to have your rights and interests as a father protected in family court proceedings. Determination of spousal support can be difficult. The court may look to many factors in determining spousal support amounts and the length of time that this will last (however, specific determinations will vary from court to court and jurisdiction to jurisdiction). These factors may include:

• Income and assets of both parties
• The length of the marriage
• The age and health of both parties
• The earning potential of both parties
• How long it would take the dependent spouse to become financially independent, if possible
• Children
• Contributions of the dependent spouse to the career and livelihood of the wage earner
• Tax ramifications
• Any reduced earning capacity