With divorce comes a whole new change in life for each spouse. Not only have you gone from married to single, but usually, your finances have also gone from shared to self-supporting. This puts some at a disadvantage, particularly if they gave up a career to take care of the family or help a spouse further his or her own career. Now that you have divorced, you may find yourself in a tough financial situation. In these circumstances, spousal support - also known as alimony - becomes an issue.
In Kentucky there is one underlying question that must be answered when determining whether to award spousal support: Are you financially able to meet your reasonable needs after the divorce? If not, the court will then look at a number of factors in determining the amount of spousal support to award. In Kentucky, there is no financial table or chart that is used in awarding spousal support.
One factor that may be considered is how long it will take the receiving spouse to obtain the education and training necessary to find a job that will allow that person to be self-sufficient. The general financial resources of the receiving spouse as well as that spouse's age and health will also be considered. Finally, courts will look at the standard of living each spouse enjoyed during the course of the marriage and how long the marriage lasted when determining spousal support.
In addition, the court will also look at the ability of the paying spouse to meet his or her needs when determining alimony. Neither spouse should be left in the position after a divorce where they are struggling to meet their day-to-day needs. Kentucky family lawyers strive to provide assistance that is reasonable but at the same time as aggressive as it needs to be. Whether you are seeking alimony or are facing paying alimony, it is important to understand your rights. A local divorce attorney can provide you with more information about alimony in Kentucky.