Maintenance and Alimony      630-468-2505

In Illinois, maintenance (also known as spousal support or alimony) is a court-ordered payment to an ex-spouse after divorce. The idea of maintenance was created to allow one party, once he or she is divorced, to maintain the income and lifestyle they did while they were married.

Alimony may be requested for certain situations, including: if there was a large difference in earnings between the two spouses; one spouse holds most of the marital property; one spouse is unable to appropriately support himself or herself through employment.

Spousal support is often requested in high-net worth divorces from the lower-earning spouse http://www.schiffmanfamilylaw.com/divorce-and-wealth-distribution/. The amount of spousal support varies greatly, because of the unique nature of each couple’s lifestyle and earnings. A number of factors are considered when determining if your situation warrants spousal support, including but not limited to:

  • Length of the marriage

  • The standard of living established during the marriage

  • How property will be divided

  • Education levels of the parties

  • Income levels of the parties

  • Premarital and post-marital agreements 

Several things are considered when the court determines the amount of maintenance and the time frame in which it will be paid. Types of spousal support include terminable support, reviewable support, rehabilatative support and permanent support. Family law attorney Mike Schiffman can assess your specific case and help you determine what type of spousal support you can expect.

When going through a divorce, the court’s end goal is to completely sever ties between the two parties. To help facilitate that, it may be an option to divide marital property in a way that will compensate for ongoing financial support from one spouse.

If you’re in need of a divorce attorney in Chicago, contact Schiffman Family Law for a free consultation on your spousal support situation. Mike Schiffman will most efficiently and effectively guide you through the types of support and advocate for your rights and ability to move on from your divorce. http://www.schiffmanfamilylaw.com/contact-us/