One of the most misunderstood facets of Mississippi alimony negotiations is concerning “standard of living”. This post works to solve some of the mystery behind it and what spouses can expect when courts and attorneys analyze this important determinator of alimony amounts.

Mississippi Alimony and ‘Standard of Living’

In general, the court will attempt to establish a spousal support award that allows the receiving spouse to enjoy a similar standard of living as they had while married. That being said, the final spousal support amount must be reasonable. In addition, the court understands that the party paying spousal support also needs to keep up a decent standard of living.

This issue is among the most contrasting that a judge will consider, which is a key reason why alimony negotiations can be so difficult. Salary expectations and living styles are different for everyone and can determine the resources a parent may need to raise a child.

This is where the idea of “Standard of Living” is so helpful. If the parties have been living in a dream house and bought new cars every few years, it’s going to be hard to convince the judge that either of them should, post-divorce, have to live in an apartment and drive an old car. Yes, In this case, that’s not that particular party’s standard of living. To the extent that resources allow, judges generally try to make their awards so that each party can maintain approximately the same standard of living after the divorce.

All being said, standard of living is among the most challenging issues to determine, and one that can potentially be more favorable should you decide to work with an experienced Mississippi child support and alimony attorney. Parents in Jackson and Brandon trust The Law Offices of Rusty Williard with these issues and much more. It’s crucial to have aggressive representation on your side. Call (601) 824-9797 to set up a free consultation.