Alimony is intended to help a lesser moneyed spouse enjoy a similar quality of life following a Maryland divorce. There are two primary kinds of alimony in the state of Maryland. One is referred to as permanent and/or indefinite alimony. The other is called rehabilitative alimony.
Permanent alimony will be paid to the receiving spouse for an indefinite or permanent amount of time. It is intended to assist the spouse in maintaining a similar level and quality of life — in financial terms — as the spouse experienced during the course of the marriage.
Rehabilitative alimony is a temporary spousal support allowance. Rehabilitative alimony is intended to help a Maryland spouse finance education or professional training that will assist in increasing his or her ability to earn a living.
Whether or not an alimony award will be granted by a Maryland court is difficult to predict with absolute accuracy. However, courts will generally look at a variety of important factors in making such a determination. First, the court will look to see if the alimony seeker is self-supporting either completely or partially. Next, the court will look at how much time is needed for the alimony seeker to get the education and/or training required to become fully self-supporting. Courts will also review the standard of living enjoyed by both spouses during the marriage.
In addition to the above, the ages of both parties, marriage duration, mental and physical condition of the spouses and the financial needs and incomes of both parties will be evaluated among other factors. Due to the sheer volume of information to be considered, and the subjective nature of court decisions relating to alimony, Maryland residents who are either advocating for or against alimony payments in their divorce may be able to benefit from hiring an experienced divorce attorney to represent them in their proceedings.
