Maintenance (Alimony or Spousal Support)

Louis Paz Winner
Seiller Waterman LLC
“Louisville Family Law”

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Maintenance or alimony is often awarded in either a divorce or legal separation. The Courts will consider a number of elements to determine if you or your spouse qualifies for maintenance. In Kentucky KRS 403.200 currently states the requirements for maintenance. As a threshold question for maintenance the Courts will asses the following question: Does your spouse lack sufficient property to meet his/her reasonable needs? If the answer to that question is "YES," The court will look at a number of factors to determine the duration and amount of maintenance. Some of these factors are: 1) The financial resources of the party seeking maintenance 2) The time it will take the spouse to acquire the necessary skills/education/training to find appropriate employment 3) the standard of living established during the marriage 4) the duration of the marriage 5) the age and physical condition of the spouse seeking maintenance and 6) the ability of the spouse from whom maintenance is sough to meet his/her reasonable needs.

Kentucky does not have a maintenance or alimony chart or table of any kind. There are a number of other jurisdictions who utilize a table or have more finite standards for maintenance. Attorney Winner utilizes his experience in these cases, and a maintenance program in order to see what a Court may order in a particular case.