Your Path Family Law, Spousal Support Attorney, Kalamazoo, Michigan

If you have depended on your spouse’s income for years, the loss of that support can be the scariest part of a divorce. You need a spousal support attorney who understands the legal and practical aspects of alimony and who will advocate for you to have the money you need to live comfortably after your divorce.

Advocating for Spouses’ Independence in Southwest Michigan

You don’t have to feel trapped in a marriage just because you don’t earn enough to pay the rent without your spouse’s help. If you are a stay-at-home parent, housewife, or otherwise dependent spouse who has relied on your husband or wife to pay the bills, it can feel like there is no way out of the marriage. However, Michigan law allows you to receive spousal support (also called alimony), giving you the money you need to live on while you transition to an independent lifestyle.

Compassionate Representation Helping You Negotiate for Alimony After Divorce

No one’s life is exactly the same after a divorce. No matter how much you earn or where you lived before, divorce always involves dividing one household into two. When that household was primarily supported by a single income, the transition to an independent lifestyle can be challenging for the non-wage-earning spouse. You may need someone to help you put together a plan for how your bills will be paid once you and your spouse are no longer living under the same roof.

At Your Path Family Law, we understand the emotional impact of losing a major source of income. We know what it is like to have to start over, especially when you’re not sure where the money will come from to do so. We will help you take stock of your resources and your circumstances to see if spousal support is an option and create a budget to help you get established moving forward.

Skilled Spousal Support Attorney Advocating for What You Need to Live Comfortably

Spousal support can be ordered in any Michigan divorce, but it is never automatic. Unlike child support, there is no formula that is assumed to be correct. If your divorce case  goes to trial, the judge will look at all your family’s circumstances to decide if spousal support should be paid, how much, and for how long. These decisions are based on a number of factors that boil down to your need and your spouse’s ability to pay. The judge may also consider if one party’s misconduct (fault) brought the family to their current position and adjust spousal support to help compensate for that harm. However, spousal support awards don’t exist in a vacuum. They can be affected, and sometimes eliminated, because of child support orders, property divisions, and other parts of your divorce case.

At Your Path Family Law, our divorce attorney Rachel Gruetzner Kelley has been handling complicated spousal support cases for years. We don’t assume any judge will order spousal support just because it feels fair. Instead, we explain to the judge what you will need to support yourself in practical terms, and why your spouse should provide for those needs. We will advocate on your behalf, showing the judge why you need help supporting yourself moving forward.  

Practical Advice When Modifying Existing Spousal Support Orders

Spousal support doesn’t always last as long as child support. Sometimes short-term alimony is awarded for as little as two or three years. Even within these short periods, sometimes life circumstances change and you need to adjust an existing spousal support award appropriately. This could include:

• The payer losing a job
• The payer becoming disabled
• The payer retiring
• The payee becoming disabled
• The payee being unable to find replacement employment after diligent searching

In these cases, we can help you assess what has happened to determine if a motion to modify spousal support is appropriate. Then we will advocate on your behalf to change the terms of your alimony award to better reflect life as you now know it.

Choose Your Path to Spousal Support Solutions

Whether you need advice, want to better understand how Michigan spousal support works, or need to change an order already in place, Your Path Family Law is here to help. We offer practical, predictable legal services, tailored to suit your lifestyle and your needs. We will advocate on your behalf in Kalamazoo County and across Southwest Michigan.