Alimony Lawyers in Somerset County, NJ
Spousal Support Attorneys Serving Clients in Morris, Hunterdon, Union, & Middlesex Counties & All of New Jersey
During a divorce, few issues are more contested than alimony, also known as spousal support. Whether you are seeking alimony in NJ or are being required to make payments, it is crucial to have a Somerset County spousal support lawyer on your side that is willing to fight for your rights.
At DeTommaso Law Group, LLC, we strive to help our clients arrive at fair and favorable spousal support arrangements. If your spouse refuses to agree with a fair payment plan, our Somerset County alimony lawyers are prepared to take your case to trial.
With over 125 years of combined experience, our spousal support lawyers in Somerset County are equipped with the knowledge and skills to develop a strategic case that can help you on towards a financially stable life after divorce.
Contact us online or call (908) 274-3028 today to set up your consultation with a Somerset County alimony attorney near you! We proudly service clients in Morris, Hunterdon, and Union Counties and throughout all of New Jersey.
Why You Need a Spousal Support Attorney
Negotiating alimony is a complex legal process that, if not handled correctly, could affect you financially for years to come. You could either lose the income that you need to move on after your divorce, or you'll be paying far more than is fair for your case. You need a Somerset County spousal support lawyer to be your advocate, whether you are seeking a fair amount of spousal support or need to modify an existing alimony order.
Modifying & Enforcing Spousal Support in NJ
Whether you are a spouse paying spousal support who needs a modification, or if your spouse is refusing the pay court ordered alimony, you need to retain experienced legal representation to help you navigate the matter
Applying for a Modification
Life changes and, sometimes, it changes in ways that affect court-ordered spousal support. If you are required to make NJ alimony payments, but have:
- lost your job
- suffered a significant pay cut
You should speak with a lawyer immediately about modifying spousal support through the court.
Spouse Refusing to Pay Alimony
Your ex-spouse may be missing or flat-out refusing to pay the spousal support that was in your divorce agreement. You have options on how to proceed. A spousal support attorney can assist you with filing a motion to enforce litigant's rights to obtain court ordered alimony.
Types of Alimony in NJ
The purpose of spousal support is to ensure that the non-wage-earning or lower-wage-earning spouse can maintain the standard of living he or she had during the marriage. If a court orders alimony, it is generally – but not always – the spouse with the higher income who will be required to pay.
Just as no two marriages are the same, no two divorces are the same. There are a variety of types of alimony in NJ that could be ordered. Each type is classified by its duration.
The types of alimony in New Jersey include:
- Durational alimony: Spousal support that can be terminated or modified upon any qualifying change of circumstances
- Limited duration alimony: Spousal support that ends after a specified period
- Rehabilitative alimony: Short-term spousal support that helps one spouse become financially self-sufficient
- Reimbursement alimony: Repayment to the spouse who helped to pay for the other spouse’s education during the marriage
- Pendente lite alimony: Temporary spousal support that is issued only during the divorce process
It should be noted that open durational alimony or spousal support in New Jersey is typically awarded in long-term marriages, marriages that lasted 20 years or more. The thought behind this is that dependent spouses would have a much more difficult time maintaining the same standard of living on their own due to the length of the marriage.
How Alimony Is Calculated in New Jersey
New Jersey courts are responsible for issuing spousal support orders that are reasonable and just. There are no specific guidelines that judges must follow to calculate alimony in NJ. Instead, they are required to determine a proper payment after considering several factors.
When calculating spousal support in NJ, judges consider:
- The actual need and ability of the parties to pay;
- The duration of the marriage or civil union;
- The age, physical and emotional health of the parties;
- The standard of living established in the marriage or civil union and the likelihood that each party can maintain a reasonably comparable standard of living, with neither party having a greater entitlement to that standard of living than the other;
- The earning capacities, educational levels, vocational skills, and employability of the parties;
- The length of absence from the job market of the party seeking maintenance;
- The parental responsibilities for the children;
- The time and expense necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find appropriate employment, the availability of the training and employment, and the opportunity for future acquisitions of capital assets and income;
- The history of the financial or non-financial contributions to the marriage or civil union by each party including contributions to the care and education of the children and interruption of personal careers or educational opportunities;
- The equitable distribution of property ordered and any payouts on equitable distribution, directly or indirectly, out of current income, to the extent this consideration is reasonable, just and fair;
- The income available to either party through investment of any assets held by that party;
- The tax treatment and consequences to both parties of any alimony award, including the designation of all or a portion of the payment as a non-taxable payment;
- The nature, amount, and length of pendente lite support paid, if any; and
- Any other factors which the court may deem relevant.
Contact a Somerset County Spousal Support Attorney Today
When facing a divorce, turn to our spousal support lawyers. We can provide you with the strong legal counsel and aggressive representation that you need during this challenging time. Even if you are already in the midst of a divorce trial and are unsatisfied with how your NJ alimony lawyers are handling your case, our family law firm is ready to take over.
Depend on our results-driven spousal support lawyers in Somerset County to resolve your NJ alimony case. Call us at (908) 274-3028 today!