The end of your marriage in Mount Holly can bring with it a great deal of uncertainty, particularly if your ex-spouse was the primary income earner in your home. Of the many clients in your same situation that we here at The Law Firm of Michael S Rothmel LLC have worked with in the past, some look forward to supporting themselves, while others fear that they will not be able to return to same standard of living they had while married. Whereever in that spectrum you may fall, know that the state has different forms of alimony that can custom-fit your situation.
Section 34-23(b) of the state’s statutues outlining the Administration of Civil and Criminal Justice shows that four types of alimony are awarded in New Jersey:
- Open durational
- Limited duration
- Rehabilitative
- Reimbursement
Open durational alimony is awarded indefinately. This type is only awarded if your marriage lasted longer than 20 years. By granting it, the court recognizes that it may be difficult for you to obtain your marital standard of living on your own. However, open durational alimony ends when you remarry, or when your ex-spouse reaches retirement age. Limited durational alimony is an alimony award that the court specifies for a certain length of time.
If your plan is to enter the workforce, you can present a plan to the court showing how long it will take you to get the point of adequately supporting yourself, as well as the steps you plan on taking to get there. In such a case, the court may award you rehabilitative alimony for that period of time. Reimbursement alimony may be available to you if you supported your ex-spouse while he or she pursued an advanced education. You can learn more about New Jersey’s alimony laws by continuing to explore our site.
