If you are considering a divorce you may be wondering about the financial impact of divorce and whether you will be able to support yourself on your own. Alimony is the payment from one spouse to another (generally from the spouse who makes more money to the spouse who makes less). Is it granted in the state of Minnesota? The short answer is – yes. Minnesota has a law pertaining to alimony (Minnesota Code § 518.552), but whether or not it is granted can be complicated. So even though Minnesota is a state where divorcing couples have the potential to consider alimony (also known as ‘spousal maintenance’), there is no guarantee that one spouse will be granted alimony.
Will I Qualify for Alimony?
AMS Mediation can help you get a better sense of whether or not you will be eligible to receive alimony or how likely it is that you will have to pay alimony. Our expertise in such matters has helped many divorcing couples over the years and we welcome the opportunity to help you. It may help to know some of the basics of divorce and exactly how alimony is determined.
Either party in the divorcing couple can petition a court for alimony, but it is the person with the lower income who would be eligible for alimony. Such processes are in place to ensure that the lower-earning spouse has the ability to maintain a standard of living that is reasonably close to what they had prior to their divorce.
The court may determine that alimony is temporary, which means that the agreement lasts only for a period of time while the divorce is pending. The court is also able to issue a short-term alimony order, to help the recipient when they are in training for a new job, enrolled in college, or other similar circumstances. The court can also issue a long-term or permanent alimony order. This is more common with marriages of a duration over ten years, and is a matter separate from child support. If you have children, it is important that you work with an experienced and qualified attorney and/or mediator such as AMS Mediation in order to feel as confident as possible in the desired outcome of the divorce process.
Divorce Support Service in Minnesota
You may recognize your own circumstances in the descriptions above, and we hope that gives you a better initial sense of the likelihood of alimony being granted in your divorce. A more comprehensive conversation with AMS Mediation can give you not only greater insight about the alimony process, but greater peace of mind. The divorce process can be one of the most stressful experiences of adult life,but going through it with the help of a compassionate and professional service like AMS Mediation can make a huge difference. Call us at 952.252.1492 for more information.
