Some individuals worry that when divorce proceedings begin, they will be unable to sustain themselves during the process without access to their spouse’s income. Because you stayed at home and raised your children, you may not have the ability to find employment quickly.
Support exists in Pennsylvania called alimony pendente lite, which translates to, “alimony pending litigation”. During your divorce depositions, hearings and process, you may have the ability to obtain income from your spouse through alimony payments. This support ensures that no individual spouse proves detrimentally affected by divorce proceedings, even if he or she has never held a job. It is essential, when dealing with alimony and spousal support, that you hire an experienced divorce attorney to help you in obtaining maximum alimony pendente lite during divorce litigation.
A court’s responsibility to decide the need for alimony
Determining whether you require alimony pendente lite involves the same process as deciding whether you need spousal support after the divorce is finalized for short-term or long-term aid. Pennsylvania judges look at many factors of your marriage to decide:
- Whether any alimony is necessary
- How much alimony is required
- How long alimony payments should last
Alimony pendente lite is offered when the court decides that you require support only throughout the divorce process until the separation is finalized.
Alimony pendente considerations
To determine how much alimony you should receive and the length of time you require the payments, a court recognizes many factors of your marriage, such as:
- The spouses’ earning capacities
- The mental and physical health of each spouse
- All sources of income for the couple
- The length of the marriage
- Whether one spouse worked while the other took on household responsibilities
- The standard of living the spouses established
- The spouses’ assets and liabilities
- The spouses’ marital misconduct
You may wish to seek alimony pendente lite if you have little ability to earn enough to sustain yourself during the separation process. Your attorney will help you obtain maximum support, so that you can quickly receive income during your emotional divorce proceedings.
