What is Spousal Support?
The money provided by one spouse to the other after separation or divorce is known as alimony or spousal support. For this purpose, spousal support lawyers are also hired. This money is paid to one of the spouses so that their financial needs are fulfilled. However, there are several factors on which the alimony to the spouse is entitled. Furthermore, the amount of alimony is paid monthly.
How To Get Spousal Support?
No matter if you and your ex-spouse doesn’t live in the same city anymore after the divorce, spousal support is given to one of the spouses. This is sometimes also termed as “maintenance”. However, if you have the top-rated divorce lawyers handling your matter, you won’t have to worry so much about the spousal support. Here are the steps to get spousal support.
Understand What Alimony Actually Is
There are several things about alimony that you should know before filing for it such as; its actual purpose, its types and how it is calculated. These are all the basics of spousal support that are highly necessary for both spouses to understand before they proceed further.
Hire a Lawyer
Alimony is an extremely sensitive matter which should be taken to spousal support lawyers. This is because you would definitely not know all the secrets about it and won’t be professional enough to make decisions, so it is suggested to visit a lawyer and talk about your matter. Your attorney would understand your issue and help you in making further decisions. Furthermore, a highly professional and experienced lawyer can increase your chances of getting the benefit of spousal support.
Negotiate With Your Ex-Spouse
Before filing the final alimony, you should have a conversation with your ex-spouse about spousal support, which is also recommended in case of child custody. You both can negotiate about it and agree on the same decision. Make sure that you both keep all the factors in mind that are also considered by a judge because, at the end, the judge is the one who signs every spousal support agreement. And because the judge would sign it so the signatures of yours and your ex-spouse are a must.
File for Alimony
If you have negotiated with your ex-spouse and got your agreement signed by the judge, you can simply drop it off at the court and your agreement would be stamped as a filed alimony. But, if you and your ex-partner haven’t made an agreement then you would have to do the following things:
- Get all the required and relevant information about your financial status from your bank
- Find and fill the alimony forms
- Sign the forms
- Make several copies of each document as a piece of evidence
- Present the original forms along with original documents at the court and get your alimony filed
Send a Notice to Your Spouse
If you and your spouse have filed for a divorce on the mutual agreement then there would not be any need of sending them notice but, if you both have not then, send a petition signed by your for divorce and spousal support to your ex-spouse to be. However, you yourself won’t be allowed to deliver the papers, there are many other services that can be used such as; process server service, mail service, sheriff service and third party service.
After sending the notice, wait for the response from your spouse. They would have the time of about 20-30 days within which they should respond at any case otherwise, they would ultimately end up owing spousal support to you.
Prepare For Your Hearing
Once you have given a hearing date, start preparing a speech or at least write down the points that you need to talk about. Also, prepare the reasons for demanding alimony that you would tell the judge.
After the hearing, the judge would decide about awarding alimony. And if you win the alimony then:
- Fill the blank order forms
- Share your bank details with your ex-spouse to receive the payment via direct bank transfer
If you are going through a divorce and want to demand spousal support then hire from top rated divorce lawyers Fairfax VA immediately and make your position strong through professional help. You deserve alimony and a good family lawyer will ensure that.
