Worthington Alimony Attorneys

Guiding You Through Ohio Alimony Matters

If you are going through a divorce, you may have concerns about how you will be able to maintain the lifestyle you were accustomed to while married. It is important to work with Haynes Kessler Myers & Postalakis, P.C. Our Worthington alimony attorney is knowledgeable and can help you understand your options and work with you to develop a plan that will help you maintain financial stability after a divorce.

Contact our firm to schedule a consultation with our Worthington alimony lawyers. We are ready to help you navigate Ohio spousal support.

What Is Alimony?

Alimony is a legal agreement that provides financial support to a spouse following a divorce. This support can be in the form of a one-time payment or a recurring payment. 

Alimony can be temporary or permanent, and it can be ordered by a judge in one of two types:

• Rehabilitative alimony is temporary support paid to a spouse who is expected to become self-supporting based on his or her job skills or salary.
• Permanent alimony is support paid to a spouse who is not expected to become self-supporting.

Some of the factors a judge may consider when deciding whether to award alimony include:

• Length of the marriage and the extent to which either spouse made career or educational sacrifices.
• The spouses' ages and whether age affects their earning capacity or ability to reenter the workforce.
• The physical and mental health of the spouses, including any conditions that limit employment.
• The ability of the spouse earning more income to pay alimony while still meeting reasonable living expenses.
• The ability of the spouse receiving alimony to be self-supporting within a reasonable period of time.
• The lifestyle the spouses were accustomed to while married, particularly in longer-term marriages.
• The job skills of the spouses and the time and expense needed for additional training or education.
• The ability of the paying spouse to earn income in the future, including expected changes in employment or retirement.
• The property division and how assets and debts are allocated between the parties.
• Any other factors the court deems relevant under Ohio law when setting a fair support amount.

How Is Alimony Calculated in Ohio?

When a judge is determining how much alimony to order and for how long, he or she will consider a number of factors. 

Some of the most common factors include:

• the length of the marriage;
• the spouses' ages;
• the physical and mental health of the spouses;
• the ability of the spouse earning more income to pay alimony;
• the ability of the spouse receiving alimony to be self-supporting;
• the lifestyle the spouses were accustomed to while married;
• the job skills of the spouses;
• the ability of the spouse paying alimony to earn income;
• the property division; and
• any other factors the court deems relevant.

What is Temporary Alimony?

Temporary alimony is ordered during the divorce process and ends when the divorce is finalized. It is granted to the spouse who is financially dependent during the divorce process.

This type of support is often used to cover immediate needs such as housing, utilities, transportation, and other living expenses while the case is pending. Our knowledgeable alimony attorney can help you seek appropriate temporary orders in the Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court or other local courts, and can also assist you in responding if your spouse has requested temporary support that you believe is too high or not justified by the circumstances.

What Is Permanent Alimony?

Permanent alimony is ordered when temporary alimony is not sufficient to provide financial support to the spouse. Permanent alimony is granted when the dependent spouse's needs cannot be met with temporary alimony alone.

In practice, this may arise in long-term marriages where one spouse has been out of the workforce for many years, has significant health issues, or faces other barriers to becoming self-supporting. Our Worthington alimony lawyer can evaluate whether long-term or ongoing support is likely to be an issue in your case, explain how factors like retirement and remarriage may affect future payments, and work with you to present clear financial information to the court.

Modifying Or Enforcing Spousal Support Orders

Life circumstances can change significantly after a divorce, and existing support orders may no longer feel fair or workable. If a job loss, promotion, health problem, or relocation affects your ability to pay or your need for support, Ohio law allows you to ask the court to review and potentially modify your alimony or spousal support order. Understanding when a change is substantial enough to justify returning to court is an important first step.

In many cases, you will need to show a substantial change in circumstances that was not anticipated at the time of the original decree, such as a long-term reduction in income or a significant increase in necessary expenses. We help you gather pay records, medical information, and other documentation, evaluate whether a modification request is likely to be considered, and prepare a clear presentation for the Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court or another central Ohio court. If your former spouse is not paying as ordered, legal action may also be available to enforce the order and seek remedies the judge believes are appropriate.

Get Help from Our Worthington Spousal Support Lawyers

If you are going through a divorce and have questions about spousal support in Ohio, it is important to work with an attorney who is knowledgeable about alimony law. At Haynes Kessler Myers & Postalakis, P.C., we are ready to help you create an alimony plan that will help you maintain financial stability after a divorce. We are committed to providing high-quality legal services and compassionate case management.

Schedule a consultation with our Worthington spousal support lawyers to learn more about alimony.