Twin Cities Spousal Maintenance Attorney
In a Minnesota divorce, the court may order a spouse to provide financial support for the other. In Minnesota this support is referred to as spousal maintenance. Spousal maintenance is often also referred to as “alimony” or “spousal support.”
Temporary Maintenance
Minnesota law sets out three types of spousal maintenance. The first, temporary maintenance, addresses the temporary financial needs of the spouse. These needs may include immediate financial necessities such as paying rent, utilities, attorney’s fees, or other costs that follow closely after the divorce.
Short-Term Maintenance
The second type of spousal maintenance is short-term maintenance. This is now referred to as “transitional maintenance” in Minnesota. Short-term maintenance is usually applied where a spouse needs financial support in order to become self-sufficient after the divorce. This type of maintenance often applies where there is a significant gap in the education or training of the spouses and support may include assistance for the spouse to complete college or other training.
Long-Term Maintenance
The last type of Minnesota spousal maintenance is long-term maintenance. This was previously called “permanent” spousal maintenance, but is now referred to as “indefinite” spousal maintenance. Long-term maintenance is less common than the other two types of maintenance, but can apply for an indefinite period of time. Generally this type of maintenance applies where one spouse is permanently disabled and will never be able to become self-sufficient, or where a spouse will not be able to reach the marital standard of living, even with adequate post-marital education, training, or experience. Twin Cities spousal maintenance attorneys may request the court modify maintenance based on a change in circumstances for one or both of the parties.
Factors when considering Spousal Maintenance
Minnesota courts consider an array of factors when determining proper spousal maintenance. These factors include:
The financial resources of each spouse
The time necessary for a spouse to seek education or training necessary to become self-sufficient
The standard of living set while married
To obtain a better understanding of how these factors may apply to your situation, it is important to speak with a Minnesota spousal maintenance attorney. Spousal maintenance attorney John E. Roach can guide you through the divorce process and maximize your spousal maintenance benefit or alternatively protect you from excessive spousal maintenance claims from your divorced spouse. Call Twin Cities spousal maintenance attorney John E. Roach at 651-468-2103 for a free consultation.