When you got married, you made decent money. Your spouse was a professional athlete, so they made much more than you, and there was no lack of financial security. Since you had your child, you have been staying at home more. Your career took a backseat to your spouse because they needed to travel and wanted to have a family. You’ve done all you can to support those dreams, but now that a divorce is happening, you want to make sure you have the money you need to survive.
If you’re interested in collecting alimony, one thing you will need to do is to figure out your budget and what you need to sustain a similar standard of living with your spouse. Using that information, you can have a better idea of what you want to ask for in support. Once you know what you want, you can negotiate directly with your spouse.
If they don’t want to negotiate, going to court is the other option. If a judge decides on your case, they will consider many factors before telling you how much alimony you’ll receive, if any. They will consider factors such as:
- Your education
- Your contribution to the marriage
- Child care needs
- Sources of income
- Career building/the loss of a career during the marriage
You should know that alimony is not guaranteed, but if you are not working and have put your career on hold, you should certainly ask for it. You may be able to get a lump-sum alimony payment or regular alimony payments to help you support yourself following your divorce, depending on your situation.