Have you been paying spousal support for many years and are beginning to feel that it will never end? Are you wondering what you can do to put an end to it? The truth is that modifying or terminating spousal support may be easy or it may be difficult – it depends on why you want to and what your situation is. Keep reading to find out how to end spousal support in specific situations. Then contact Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422 to speak a family law attorney who can help you with your case.
Ending Alimony After a Short-Term Marriage
According to California law, a short-term marriage is one that did not last ten years. The clock starts ticking on the date of marriage and ends on the date of separation – not the date of divorce. Note that this is not an inflexible rule and judges have leniency, but most of the time judges will agree that spousal support should last half of the duration of the marriage. So if a couple was married for six years, the supported spouse should get support for no more than three years.
If you were in a short marriage and were ordered to pay alimony, it should have a specific end date on it. If it does not, then we generally recommend contacting an attorney to work on ending support around the halfway mark of the length of the marriage.
Endling Alimony When Your Circumstances Have Changed
If your financial or personal situation has changed since the date of divorce, then you may have grounds to request that support be ended. For example, if you have less income, your living expenses have gone up, or you no longer receive certain financial benefits you once did then you may be able to request that your support is either ended or modified.
Ending Alimony When Your Ex-Spouse’s Circumstances Have Changed
If your ex-spouse has started a new job and makes a lot more money, has inherited money, or has had a significant other move in and they are contributing to household expenses, then you may be able to have your support modified. If they have moved to a less expensive home, have paid off bills that were previously causing a hardship (such as student loans) then they may be legally required to take more control over their own finances.
At the end of the day, it is a simple situation: If you believe you may have grounds to end or modify your alimony payments then it is worth contacting an attorney to find out more about your options. When you call Kendall Gkikas & Mitchell at 909-482-1422 we can set up a consultation. During this consultation we will get the facts for you about what you are paying, why you are paying it, and why you believe it should change. We can then provide a comprehensive idea of what your likely options are.
