Alimony and How to Negotiate

Alimony, or spousal support, may be one of the most highly contested areas of your divorce, which is why you will want to have an experienced divorce attorney representing you to avoid an unfavorable financial arrangement.

Whether you are requesting alimony or contesting your spouse’s request for alimony payments, there are some key tips you will want to keep in mind to be sure that the settlement does not put you in dire financial straits.

Consider Your Top Priorities

When it comes to determining alimony payments, the whole picture of property and debt division will need to be looked at to make a fair arrangement. Therefore, it is important to identify what is most important for you.

For example, if you want to keep your house, you might need to be willing to accept reduced alimony payments as a consequence.

Make a Detailed List of Expenses

Along with pinpointing what is most important to you as far as property and payments, you should carefully consider what your expenses will look like during and after your divorce.

Getting divorced can be rather costly, and it may include some unanticipated expenses if you need to move to a new home or purchase new furniture after your spouse moves out.

Making a list of your expected costs and new expenses will be helpful in creating a more realistic view of what you can afford to pay or how much you will need to receive with spousal support.

Don’t Hesitate to Negotiate

Once you do come up with an alimony figure that you are comfortable, remember that you should lead with a higher figure if you are requesting alimony or a lower number if you are expected to pay.

This will leave you with room to negotiate rather than settling for unfair payments. You should also remember that the duration of alimony payments is negotiable as well.

If you are getting divorced, Thrush Law Group can provide the experience you need to protect your interests through the divorce process.

To schedule a free consultation with our team of divorce attorneys today.