After your New Jersey divorce, you may wonder whether you or your former spouse will receive ongoing financial support. Alimony can help keep things fair, but it looks different for every couple depending on your situation.
What are the types of spousal support?
New Jersey offers a few types of alimony, each designed for different needs:
- Open durational alimony: Ongoing support with no set end date, usually for marriages of 20 years or more. Payments might change or stop if big life events happen, like retirement or remarriage.
- Limited duration alimony: Support for a set number of years, often for shorter marriages, giving the recipient time to get on their feet financially.
- Rehabilitative alimony: Helps cover living costs while a spouse goes back to school, training or learning new skills for work.
- Reimbursement alimony: May pay back a spouse who helped the other get a degree or certification that boosted their career.
These types show that alimony can be flexible depending on your needs and circumstances.
What courts usually look at?
Judges consider several things when deciding alimony, including:
- How long the marriage lasted
- Each spouse’s income and ability to earn money
- The standard of living during the marriage
- The age and health of both spouses
- Parenting duties and contributions at home
- Tax rules, which can affect how alimony payments are handled
How long does alimony last?
For marriages under 20 years, support usually does not go beyond the length of the marriage unless special circumstances come up. Marriages over 20 years may have ongoing support with no set end date. Life changes, like a new job, remarriage or health issues, can affect payments if addressed through the proper legal channels.
Balancing fairness and practicality
Alimony in New Jersey aims to balance fairness for both spouses. Each situation is different, so taking the time to understand your options can help you plan for the future.