Determining Support Payments
In almost all divorce cases, the court will determine some support payments that one spouse will pay to the other. The most common forms of these support payments are alimony (spousal support, from one former spouse to the other) or child support, paid to the parent with primary custody of the child. In either case, the support payments can be a significant amount of income and are often crucial to the financial well-being of the spouse receiving them.
The court officially decides how much an individual will have to pay in support, although it can be helpful for both sides to agree on a number either on their own or through mediation. When figuring out what constitutes a fair amount, various topics are considered, including:
- Relative income
- Job status
- Cost of raising children
- Health of both parents
- Lifestyle expectations
The lifestyle that the couple shared while together is often a consideration when determining spousal support because the court often allows for a continuation of a qualitatively similar standard of living after a divorce. The person paying the support will usually, though not always, have to pay to support a standard of living that the other person would be used to.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this issue, or if you feel that your support payments have been determined unfairly, contact the West Palm Beach divorce lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A. at 561-353-2800 today.
