Spousal support or alimony is a court-ordered series of payments designed to support a spouse who left the workforce to be a homemaker. That spouse may have significant lapses in their education or work experience, so a divorce court may award them a portion of the employed spouse’s income based on their quality of life during the marriage. There are a few different types of alimony that the court may choose from when evaluating a case. The three most common types of alimony are periodic, lump sum, and rehabilitative.

Types Of Alimony

The types of alimony are pretty straightforward and named for exactly the characteristic that defines them. Periodic alimony, for instance, refers to periodic payments made by the employed spouse to the unemployed spouse. These payments are made until the unemployed spouse becomes remarried or one of either party dies. This is something of an older version of spousal support that is currently being phased out for a more progressive idea.

Rehabilitative alimony doesn’t allow the unemployed spouse to simply accept checks for the rest of their lives but rather adds sanctions that force the money to be used for rehabilitative purposes. This means the spouse is required to spend a portion of the money on education or training so they can eventually support themselves. Furthermore, the court gives a deadline for when these demands could reasonably be met, and the alimony is scheduled to stop at that time.

Lump-sum alimony is also exactly what it sounds like. All of the alimony that will ever be required is paid all at one time. This can be the optimal choice for spouses who wish to sever ties immediately. However, it can be extremely costly for the employed spouse and bring a lack of financial stability to the unemployed one.

Can Alimony Be Altered After The Divorce?

Yes. In fact, it can be altered in favor of either side. A sudden economic downturn for the employed spouse could be grounds for a reduced amount of alimony. Conversely, an expensive medical illness that arises in the unemployed spouse could be grounds to raise the payment amount. The only form of alimony that cannot be changed or altered after the court proceedings is lump sum alimony. In lump sum alimony, all of the financial requirements are agreed to and met at one time. So there’s no possibility of changing the deal later.

For advice on which type of alimony might be right for you, call The Law Offices of Rusty Williard at (601) 824-9797.