Does Fault Matter when Determining Alimony in Oklahoma?

During the divorce process, you may have heard the term alimony floating around. Alimony is a court order that enforces one spouse to pay the other spouse during or after the divorce for a specified period of time. There are various factors that can affect whether alimony is ordered by the judge, but the best way to find out exactly what could affect your case is to talk to an experienced Oklahoma Family Lawyer. They can run through your case to determine what factors may or may not impact whether you or your spouse will receive alimony. 

Will Being at Fault Affect My Alimony?

Many people ask whether being at fault in the divorce will affect legal decisions regarding alimony. First of all, Oklahoma does not make alimony a mandatory aspect of the divorce process and does not factor fault into the decision process. There are even some cases of temporary alimony so if you do receive a court order to pay alimony to your spouse, this may not last forever.

Temporary alimony is usually used in situations where a spouse is unable to work because of the divorce. This payment is intended to help the spouse recover financially and may last until they can support themselves. Depending on the court order, you may have to make payments in a lump sum, which is all at once, or monthly sums.

However, do not panic if you suspect you may have to pay alimony. There are numerous other factors that are considered before an alimony order is granted. Even if you do receive an alimony order, there are some cases in which the order can be changed or appealed. A lawyer can help you through this process if you feel the judgment is unfair.

What Does Affect Alimony?

Other factors that affect alimony usually have to do with finances, marriage aspects, and health. The financial status of you and your spouse will be examined by the court to figure out whether each of you can independently support yourselves during or after the divorce trial. This may mean checking income history and current income status. All of this can help calculate the future earning capacity for each of you.

Marriage aspects will also be considered like the length of marriage and standard of living that existed during the marriage. Health may also be assessed to see if future medical bills will come up or if payments related to a disability will harm future finances. This is especially important if you have children to ensure they do not find themselves without adequate care due to a lack of income.

Oklahoma Divorce Lawyer

Figuring out how your future income may be affected by alimony is an important process to consider during a divorce. An Oklahoma Divorce Attorney has the training to see what legal factors can affect decisions by the court regarding alimony. For more information, you can call the Putnam Law Office at (405)-849-9149 today for consultation. Mr. Putnam is an Oklahoma City, OK attorney who is dedicated to his clients.