Colorado Spousal Support Lawyers
When a marriage ends, spousal support is one of the many financial details that must be addressed. The Colorado custody and divorce attorneys of Kaplan Law L.L.C. are family practice lawyers with considerable experience in all the legal aspects of divorce, including spousal support issues.
Spousal support (alimony or maintenance payments) is meant to cushion the transition from married life to once again being financially independent. In some cases, a Colorado court may rule that the support is necessary for longer periods. Colorado maintenance payments do not include and are considered separate from child support.
Six Factors that Influence Spousal Support Agreements
When spousal support is requested, Colorado courts examine the petition and determine how much, if any, spousal support is warranted. The courts recognize six factors that influence spousal support agreements:
- Financial status of petitioner
- Time required to self-support
- Married standard of living
- Length of marriage
- Age and health of petitioner
- Financial situation of spouse
Temporary Maintenance or Spousal Support
Because of the time required for the courts to make a ruling on a spousal support case, the court may order temporary maintenance payments. For persons making less than $75,000, this temporary financial arrangement is done according to formula. Persons making more than $75,000 are subject to the standard factors of determining support listed above.
The formula that the courts use is very simple. Take 50 percent of the adjusted gross income of the spouse with the lower income and subtract that amount from 40 percent of the adjusted gross income of the spouse with the higher income. If the result is zero or a negative number, no temporary spousal support is required.
In our work as Colorado spousal support attorneys, we have seen divorcing couples—especially those engaging the services of a mediator—waive this formulaic approach to temporary maintenance.
Kaplan Law L.L.C.: A Family Law Team
By practicing as a team, the lawyers and paralegals of Kaplan Law give our clients the benefit of a broad knowledge base of a large law firm combined with the in-depth, personal attention of a solo attorney. The Colorado custody and divorce lawyers of Kaplan Law understand that the process of settling financial affairs between domestic partners can be emotionally exhausting and offer our experience in the practice of family law to ease our clients through this trying time.
Have questions about spousal support, maintenance payments or any other aspect of Colorado custody and divorce law? Please contact Kaplan Law L.L.C. to set up a consultation today.
