Details To Consider When Negotiating Alimony Payments In Good Faith

During divorce proceedings, there are people who are eligible for alimony payments from their ex-spouse and who adopt the mentality of getting as much money as possible. You may be well within your right to do so, but this can breed a considerable amount of unpleasantness between the two of you, which may be less than ideal if you have children. 

If it's clear that your partner will be paying you alimony, you don't necessarily have to try to get an exorbitant sum. Instead, in the name of keeping things civil, you may wish to consider these details and work with your divorce attorney to come up with a reasonable request.

Living Expenses

An important reason to get alimony payments is to help you with your day-to-day living expenses. Perhaps you haven't been working, or maybe you've only had part-time employment and don't have the funds to support yourself as you branch out on your own. You'll want to calculate what you feel to be reasonable living expenses. This list should include housing and automotive expenses, as well as bills and groceries, as well as any other reasonable things that you'll need to spend your money on. Frequent travel, the latest tech gadgets, and an expensive shopping habit aren't necessities that you should consider.

Help With Education

If you don't have an education and you've decided that you'll need to pursue some manner of education to help you get a job, you should factor in the cost of your schooling. You can then request that your ex-spouse's alimony payments help you in this regard. You may even wish to suggest, in the name of good faith, the caveat that the alimony payments reduce by a certain amount once you've graduated from whatever program you're taking.

Medical Care

It's possible that you require some form of medical care that your ex-spouse was fully or partially paying for when you were married. You'll want to assess these expenses and share them with your divorce attorney so that he or she can factor this amount into the amount that you'll be requesting. For example, perhaps you require physical therapy as a result of an accident or a surgical procedure, or maybe you're on costly medication for a mental health condition. It's ideal if your ex-spouse can continue to support you in this manner, as he or she will be making an investment in your health that you'll surely appreciate.

For more information, contact a law office like Franklin & Rapp.


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