Arizona judges consider a wide variety of factors when determining whether to award spousal maintenance. Obviously, the duration of your marriage will be a key factor, as will the amount of your and your spouse’s income and earning capacity. Other factors regarding the amount of spousal maintenance include:
- The monthly living expenses,
- The standard of living during the marriage,
- The degree to which one spouse contributed to the other’s earning capacity,
- Whether there are young children of an age such that the parent seeking spousal maintenance cannot earn sufficient income to support herself, and
- Other factors that address the practical aspects of whether and how much maintenance is reasonable.
Spousal Maintenance Can Significantly Affect Your Future Financial Security – Schedule A Consultation with an Experienced Phoenix Men’s Alimony Attorney & Spousal Support Lawyer Today.
One thing to be wary of is a spouse who plans a divorce far in advance and reduces his or her income over time in order to minimize or maximize the value of the spousal maintenance claim. As discussed elsewhere on this site, divorce planning is not uncommon, and so every Arizona divorce client needs to be on the lookout for improper actions taken by the spouse who is pushing for the divorce, improper actions such as hiding assets, reducing income, destroying or transferring assets, racking up debt, and provoking the other spouse into doing or saying things that may affect a court’s decision on the issues of custody and parenting time.
As an experienced spousal support attorney with nearly three decades of experience, I can evaluate your particular circumstances and seek to uncover such dishonest conduct. Call my office today to schedule a consultation to learn more about how I work tirelessly to protect client interests in Arizona spousal maintenance matters.