Types Of Alimony In New Jersey
If you are about to go through the divorce process in New Jersey, keep in mind that one of the issues that might need to be addressed is alimony. Primarily, alimony is awarded to individuals who need financial support during or after their divorce. Alimony is meant to help a receiving party continue living a life almost similar to the one he or she was used to in marriage. Often, New Jersey courts order individuals to pay alimony until the receiving parties become self-sufficient.
However, it is vital to note that New Jersey courts don’t always award alimony. So, if you are about to get a divorce, do not automatically assume you will be granted or asked to pay alimony. Courts consider several factors before making alimony decisions. Therefore, if, after considering all necessary elements, the court finds that your situation does not warrant an alimony order, no order will be granted.
New Jersey courts award different types of alimony. When deciding which type of alimony to grant in a divorce case, the court usually considers factors such as marriage length, age and health, employability, and spouses’ earning capacity. Below are the different types of alimony in New Jersey.
Temporary Alimony/Pendente Lite
This first type of divorce is awarded before the divorce process is finished. The primary purpose of temporary alimony is to ensure each party maintains the same financial position that existed before the divorce process began. It is a type of alimony that usually lasts up to when the court determines the final alimony terms. Additionally, temporary alimony is quite helpful to financially dependent individuals because often financial support is cut off once the divorce process begins.
Limited Duration/Durational Alimony
As the name suggests, limited durational alimony is awarded for a predetermined/finite amount of time, usually for a number of months or years. Also, courts generally grant this type of alimony to people who have been married for less than twenty years.
Rehabilitative Alimony
This type of alimony is meant to help individuals who need financial support for a short period. Rehabilitative alimony is also usually awarded to people who’ve not been married for long. It is a type of alimony designed to give individuals time to become self-sufficient. In most cases, receivers use rehabilitative alimony payments to obtain the tools they need to become financially independent.
Open Duration Alimony
Open duration alimony was once called “permanent alimony.” This type of alimony is generally awarded to individuals who have been married for at least twenty years. Unlike other alimony types, which have predetermined fixed ending dates, open duration alimony has no predetermined fixed ending date. This type of alimony often lasts until the payer retires. Open-duration alimony is modifiable and can even be terminated under some circumstances.
Reimbursement Alimony
Generally, reimbursement alimony can be awarded in a situation where one spouse financially supported the other spouse’s education or career during the marriage. Reimbursement alimony is ordered to provide the party that helped the other during the marriage with fair compensation. A receiver can be compensated for money spent on educational costs, household expenses, and other expenses.
Contact Citizen Soldier Law Today
If you need help with your divorce, alimony, or any other family law legal issue, contact the New Jersey family lawyers at Citizen Soldier Law to receive assistance.
