The Florida Senate recently passed important divorce legislation that would drastically change how spousal support is handled in that state. The law, backed by the group known as Floridians for Alimony Reform, would end permanent alimony and allow for long divorced couples to reopen their divorce settlements and change long established financial arrangements. The measure,… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Alimony
Subscribe to Alimony RSS FeedTax Tips For Those Going Through A Divorce in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Child Support, Financial Issues, Tax IssuesThough everyone agrees that tax season is painful enough by itself, adding a divorce to the mix makes a bad situation even worse. No one wants to face a whopping tax bill in the midst of an expensive or exhausting divorce battle. To avoid costly mistakes, consider following these tips provided by Forbes magazine. First things… Continue Reading
Hollywood Star Sues To Lower Alimony and Child Support Obligations
Posted in Alimony, Child Support, Financial Issues, ProcedureOnce a divorce is filed, the couple’s assets and debts, basically their entire financial life is cataloged and recorded, fought about and agonized over. Eventually, this monetary snapshot is used to determine everything, from child support to equitable division of joint assets to alimony. In South Carolina, in most cases where alimony is awarded, there are… Continue Reading
How Is Alimony Terminated in South Carolina?
Posted in Alimony, Trial of CasesIn South Carolina, there are several varieties of alimony, also known as spousal support. There’s lump sum alimony, which is a definite amount and is either paid all at once or in a series of fixed payments. Permanent periodic alimony, the most common type, is paid on a regular schedule, usually monthly, and can continue… Continue Reading
Tax Tips For Those Facing A South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Child Custody, Child Support, Financial Issues, Tax IssuesAs tax season rapidly approaches, those going through a divorce (or those thinking about doing so) may have some questions about how a split can affect your taxes. The first, and most commonly asked question is how does a divorce affect your filing status? This is thankfully an easy answer. Your filing status is determined… Continue Reading
The Problems With Permanent Alimony
Posted in Alimony, Financial IssuesThough most people intend to stay together forever, it doesn’t always work out that way. Despite the best of intentions, marriages sometimes end with couples going their separate ways. It may surprise people to discover that even when the marriage ends, you could still be tied to your former spouse forever. One way you might… Continue Reading
Will Alimony Be Enough For You To Keep The House?
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Divorce, Financial IssuesIf you’re making or receiving alimony, you might wonder how those payments will impact your decision to either keep and refinance your current house or find a new place to live once the divorce is over. The fact is, alimony can be a deciding factor for some banks when they are considering approving you for… Continue Reading
New York’s Equitable Division Law Means College Degrees May Be Considered Marital Property
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationA recent article in the Wall Street Journal discussed a very bizarre quirk of divorce law in New York. The article focused on one woman, Tanya Finch, who began pursuing a nursing degree while married to her husband, Kenneth Quarty, who was legally blind and did not work outside the home. Tanya worked multiple jobs… Continue Reading
The Cost of Infidelity
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Dispute Resolution, Divorce, Financial Issues, Prenuptial Agreements, SeparationIt seems like we hear about cheating spouses everyday, whether it’s a Hollywood celebrity or the Director of the CIA. Though the headlines can be scandalous, the reality in court is that many times, judges don’t care. Instead, the real price paid for such cheating comes from settlements, not trials. The reason is that most… Continue Reading
Silvio Berlusconi Agrees to Pay $132,000 Per Day in Spousal Support
Posted in AlimonyA shocking news report released just this week revealed that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has agreed to pay his ex-wife Veronica Lario around $132,000 per day as part of a divorce settlement. The former Prime Minister finally agreed to the whopping $48 million per year alimony in a bid to end the divorce… Continue Reading
The Importance of Documenting Alimony Payments
Posted in Alimony, Contempt of Court, Financial Issues, Research & Investigation, Tax IssuesAlimony, also known as spousal support, includes payments made by one spouse to the other for that spouse’s support following a divorce. Courts in South Carolina are not required to grant alimony in every case, they instead have the discretion to grant it under certain circumstances (which are discussed here). Alimony payments are typically tax-deductible… Continue Reading
What To Do If You’re Considering Remarriage in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Child Custody, Financial Issues, Marriage, Relationships, VisitationMany South Carolinians come out of a divorce and vow to never be married again. The process was emotionally and financially draining and often leaves people broken-hearted or generally exhausted. Though this feeling can last a while, many eventually grow out of their concerns and may decide to make another go of it. If that’s… Continue Reading
How a Vocational Expert Might Help Your South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Discovery, Divorce, Financial Issues, Practice Tips, Research & Investigation, Separation, Trial of CasesIf you’re starting the process of divorce in South Carolina, you likely are beginning to realize just how much of the process revolves around money. How much is there, how much will there be in the future, whose is it, who needs it and finally, who gets what? One of the questions that many couples… Continue Reading
The Benefits of Lump Sum Alimony
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationThe family law practice area has seen the current economic climate lead to a huge increase in the number of actions seeking modification of existing child support and alimony awards. People are losing jobs, losing homes, taking pay cuts, losing bonuses and other compensation that was previously used to determine such financial support awards. This… Continue Reading
How to Handle Life Insurance During a South Carolina Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Child Support, Divorce, Financial Issues, Medical Issues, Practice Tips, SeparationNegotiating a divorce settlement can be stressful, especially when tension is high and your spouse insists on contesting every last detail. One thing that often is last on people’s priority list, but which should not be overlooked, is life insurance. Insurance policies are standard parts of settlement agreements. The spouse who pays alimony or child support… Continue Reading
Alimony and Spousal Support in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationAlimony is often one of the most contentious issues in divorces in South Carolina. Your best bet when dealing with spousal support is to hire an experienced South Carolina divorce attorney who can advise you on what to expect when this issue arises in your case. Alimony is also known as spousal support and is designed… Continue Reading
Military Divorce in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Divorce, Financial Issues, Jurisdiction, SeparationDeciding how to split up a couple’s accumulated assets is a challenging but necessary task before any divorce can be finalized. This already tough job can be made even more complicated if one or both spouses is an active duty or retired member of the military. In such situations, one of the couple’s biggest assets… Continue Reading
Legal Separation in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, Financial Issues, Medical Issues, Separation, VisitationSomething many South Carolinians may not realize is that our state does not recognize a “legal separation.” Here, a couple is either married or not married. South Carolina does however have a very similar action known as a “Decree of Separate Maintenance and Support” which (despite the longer name) functions much the same way that… Continue Reading
Dating During Divorce in South Carolina
Posted in Alimony, Child Custody, Divorce, Marriage, Separation, VisitationSouth Carolina family law attorneys get asked the question all the time: “Can I date during my divorce?” The advice boils down to three words: Don’t do it! Most good divorce lawyers strongly recommend that clients their do not date during the pendency of the divorce action. Even “innocent” dating that was not the result of… Continue Reading
Should VA Disability Benefits Be Subject to Alimony Claims?
Posted in Alimony, Divorce, Financial Issues, Jurisdiction, Marriage, Procedure, Separation, Trial of CasesA disabled vet has filed a petition before the U.S. Supreme Court asking the justices to consider whether states are permitted to allow divorce courts to count a veteran’s disability benefits when determining spousal support. The Air Force veteran, Peter James Barclay, also asked the Court to determine whether federal law prevents states from considering… Continue Reading
The Real Costs of Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationAs we’ve mentioned before, divorce is not only an emotionally trying experience, but it can be a financially devastating one, as well. From legal fees and alimony payments, to the child support and the division of assets, the costs can seem truly daunting. Though cost should not stop an unhappy couple from splitting, it’s important… Continue Reading
South Carolina Women Faring Better Following Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationAccording to recent numbers put out by the Pew Economic Mobility Project, around fifty percent of both genders suffer financially following a divorce. One interest tidbit contained in the report indicates that number of women who financially profit from the divorce is surpassing the number of men. This is a change from historic patterns where… Continue Reading
Increasing Numbers of Women Responsible for Alimony and Child Support
Posted in Alimony, Child Support, Divorce, Financial Issues, SeparationTimes, they are a-changin’. Family law lawyer are noticing a shift in the way that divorce courts distribute alimony and child support responsibilities according to a recent survey by the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers. Slightly under half of the organization’s members said that woman have been increasingly responsible for alimony payments. 56% of those surveyed… Continue Reading
Six Steps to Consider If You Want to File for Divorce
Posted in Alimony, Assets and Debts, Attorney-Client Relationship, Child Custody, Child Support, Children, Communication, Divorce, Financial Issues, Harassment, Marriage, Separation, VisitationAccording to a recent article on the HuffingtonPost.com, the following steps should be taken if you see a divorce happening in the not so distant future. These important actions can protect yourself and your future. Go see a South Carolina family law attorney. Many people wait far too long before seeking legal advice about an… Continue Reading