Alimony is defined as a periodic monetary payment from one ex-spouse to another. It is a form of financial support implemented during a divorce or after a divorce is finalized. There are three forms of alimony in Texas. They include:
- Contractual Alimony: Mutual agreement of monetary support dictated in the decree;
- Spousal Support: Court-ordered monetary payments while the divorce is pending;
- Spousal Maintenance: Court-ordered monetary payments as part of the divorce decree.
Not every spouse who makes more than their ex-spouse is ordered or must agree to pay alimony. There are special circumstances, which require a spouse to adhere to monetary support, for example:
- The parent awarded sole custody of a child with special needs who has been married to their husband or wife for 10 years or more should receive alimony, since he or she is unable to work outside of the home.
- The spouse convicted of domestic violence in the home within two years of the date the divorce suit was filed or pending.
Our divorce lawyers in McAllen, Marcus C. Barrera and Edward P. Sanchez, will delineate your entitlement to alimony, striving to ensure you receive suitable monetary support. In addition, if you stand on the other side of the fence, we will negotiate appropriate payments on your behalf. Whatever your position in the divorce, we know that your interests and needs come first.