When you and your spouse choose to part ways, one of the early things you might notice is that your income is not going to be balanced. You may have been a homemaker, staying home to care for the children, or you may simply have less of an education or an income than your spouse.
In these cases, where your standard of living would be greatly affected by your divorce, you might be entitled to alimony. However, the amount of alimony you’ll receive will depend on your situation and what you fight for. Fortunately, you and your divorce lawyer will have a chance to fight for your alimony, or maintenance.
Generally, there’s no set amount you’ll receive for alimony in Wisconsin. The amount you’ll be eligible for will depend on several factors relating to your marriage, and the exact amount will be decided by the court.
For example, the length of your marriage will matter. Typically, if you were only married for a few years, you may not be eligible to seek alimony during the divorce. Someone who has been married for ten or more years, however, may be eligible for more alimony during the divorce.
Your earning power will also matter. For example, if you have never held down a traditional job because you were the stay-at-home parent, you might not have the earning power that someone at the same age might have. That difference puts you at a disadvantage when you’re recently divorced and need an income.
Because alimony payments will depend on your unique situation, you may first need to speak with your lawyer before you go to court. The amount of alimony you’ll receive will depend on your personal situation, but you may need someone on your side to argue in your favor for alimony.
First, you may need to present any evidence possible that you need alimony. This evidence may include:
All these factors can affect your alimony, both in amount and in length of time. For example, if you have evidence that you may never be fully self-sufficient, you may be entitled to indefinite alimony. Once you and your lawyer present your evidence of that, however, the judge will then decide whether you should receive alimony and if so, for how long.
A divorce is already a difficult experience, but it can be especially frightening when you’re getting a divorce and have no income of your own. Without alimony, you might struggle to maintain your standard of living, making your life difficult.
Fortunately, a lawyer from Karp & Iancu, S.C. can help you fight back and get the maintenance you deserve in Wisconsin. How long your alimony in Wisconsin will last will depend on your situation, but a divorce attorney can almost certainly help improve your alimony judgement.
Seeking alimony and unsure where to start? Reach out to our attorneys for help. When you’re struggling with your alimony judgement, take advantage of a consultation with our lawyers to learn what we can do for you. Give us a call at 414-453-0800, or simply visit us online for more information.
