Alimony Spouse Support Withholding In Washington
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Alimony usually lasts until the divorce is final or for a brief period afterward. Mid-length marriages that lasted between 5-25 years have more variability in awarding alimony. Judges often award one year of maintenance for every 3 to 4 years married, but this is not a hard rule.
As a general rule of thumb, courts in Washington State award one year of alimony for every three or four years of marriage. There is no statute or case law explicitly stating this formula, but it is an oft mentioned rule and generally what courts can be expected to do.
You are not legally obligated to support her. If a divorce is filed the court could make alimony retroactive.
Maintenance automatically terminates upon the recipient's remarriage. As a result, payors often half-jokingly encourage recipients to date and find new love.
Unless an agreement or the divorce decree provides otherwise, a Washington spousal maintenance obligation generally ends when the party receiving it remarries or registers a new domestic partnership or when either party dies. RCW 26.09. 170(2).
As per California Family Code Section 4337, spousal support is automatically terminated when the spouse receiving the support remarries. This provision removes the need for a court hearing or additional legal processes to end alimony, streamlining the transition.
How Washington State Alimony is Calculated. The court looks at several factors when determining an alimony amount. Each spouse's assets, debt, age, income and earning potential, the length of the marriage, and the standard of living they are accustomed to can all factor into the decision.
How Does the Court Usually Divide Property? A court in Washington State will usually a) award each party his or her own separate property and b) divide the net value of the parties' community property 50/50.
In essence, the court first looks at the economic need of the party seeking spousal support. The court measures this need by comparing the monthly income of the person seeking alimony with their monthly expenses. The shortfall between a party's income and their expenses is that party's economic need.
