Alimony

Can alimony payments be terminated

Massachusetts law does make provisions to terminate spousal support. If a spouse who is receiving support remarries or either spouse dies, the support will stop. However, the spouse making payments may be required to get a life insurance policy that will provide support after the paying spouse passes on. The length of the marriage may also play a role in determining when support payments may terminate. For marriages that last for less than five years, support payments will last for no more than half the number of months that the marriage lasted. If a marriage lasts more than five years but no more than 10 years, support will last for 60 percent of the total number of months that the marriage lasted. Support will be provided for 70 of the number of total months the marriage lasts for marriages of more than 10 years and less than 15 years. This number goes up to 80 percent for marriages of more than 15 years but less than 20 years. Payments may also be terminated if it can be proven that a spouse who receives payments is cohabiting with and has formed a common household with another person for at least three months. Such a household may involve multiple people who are economically interdependent or a household where one person is economically dependent on someone else. While spousal support may be ordered as part of a divorce settlement, it may be terminated for a variety of reasons. Hiring a family law attorney

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Determining alimony in Massachusetts

Any Massachusetts resident who is preparing for divorce may be curious as to how spousal support is assigned and whether a former spouse might be required to continue to provide health insurance. A basic overview of the law can sometimes lead to more productive negotiations. Massachusetts law allows a judge to assign property or assets belonging to one spouse to the other in addition to or instead of spousal support. It is not relevant whether the property was owned prior to the marriage. All property owned by either spouse may be divided and assigned to either spouse, regardless of whose name is on it or when the property was acquired. This is different from other states that protect property a person owned before entering the marriage. Property that may be reassigned includes retirement benefits, military retirement benefits, pensions, annuities, insurance or vested and non-vested benefits. The amount of alimony is based on several factors, including the length of the marriage, the age and health of each spouse, the conduct of the parties during the marriage, skills and employability of the spouses and each party’s needs. A judge may consider the extent to which each spouse contributed to the acquisition of the property, whether a spouse contributed as a homemaker and the needs of any minor children. When spousal support is ordered, the spouse will also be required to provide health insurance if the other spouse cannot obtain coverage. This order does not reduce the amount of alimony. When spouses separate,

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Alimony could affect prenuptial agreements in Massachusetts

Before a Massachusetts couple gets married, they may draw up a prenuptial agreement that would discuss many of the aspects of what would take place if the couple got a divorce. Property division and alimony are often brought up when making such an agreement in order to understand what each party may be entitled to in the event of a separation. However, there may be situations in which the prenup may be disregarded. Many individuals do not know how they will react if they suddenly find themselves going through the divorce process. As a result, they could possibly regret signing a prenuptial agreement, especially if they believe that it could result in them getting less alimony or property than they may have received without the agreement. Therefore, in some cases, a party may move to have the agreement thrown out. A court will give much consideration to the fairness of the agreement before determining whether it should be upheld. If it seems exceedingly unfair as opposed to what the court may have normally awarded, it could potentially be disregarded. The judge may also consider the timing of when the agreement was made. If it appears that a party was unjustly pressured into signing the agreement close to the wedding date, it may also be set aside. Alimony can be especially important to individuals who will have a considerably lower income after divorce. Parties who may not have worked for some time during their marriage or otherwise relied heavily on their

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Financial documents could help Massachusetts alimony proceedings

Going through divorce can be financially trying for the Massachusetts parties involved. There are, at times, many fees that come along with the proceedings, and individuals may also need to determine how they are going to handle their household finances once they are no longer married. In many cases, this could mean that alimony is paid from one spouse to the other to help supplement their income. When it comes to determining alimony amounts, it is important that all financial information is disclosed. It is true that some parties may feel negatively about such proceedings, and in an attempt to appear less financially inclined, one party may attempt to hide certain accounts or assets. If a party does attempt such actions, the other party could potentially not receive the proper amount of alimony. By gathering important documents, parties may be better able to keep the other individuals involved from hiding information. Tax returns, bank account information and other such documents could provide important information to the court when it comes to assessing the financial situations of each party. Because such documents are typically legally binding and come with severe penalties if they are not filled out honestly, most individuals typically disclose the correct information. Because alimony and other spousal support can be a trying topic for some parties, it is not surprising that some individuals may wish to hide certain information in order to come out better. As a result, parties who are in need of such support may need

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Divorcing Massachusetts residents should examine financial needs

Because couples in Massachusetts are not immune to potentially going through divorce, it is important to understand what separation could mean if such a decision is made. Financial needs will differ after a couple separates, and there will be many agreements that will need to be made in terms of alimony and other aspects. As a result, it is important for parties to understand their financial situation before divorce takes place. Bank accounts are one area that should be noted before separation. This examination will allow a party to understand how much money is in those accounts and what division of those funds could mean for their situation. If divorce has been decided upon, opening a bank account that is not shared with the other party is a wise step. Examining the debt that could be taken on after divorce is also an action that an individual may wish to carry out. Attempting to diffuse any accumulated debt before the separation would be ideal. However, many individuals know that it is not always easy to repay balances quickly, and therefore, preparing a payment plan for after divorce could be beneficial. Financial needs are important to assess at any time, but it can make a considerable difference when divorce is on the horizon. Understanding the current state of finances will help prepare for the future and how those funds will be impacted by alimony, child support and property division. Having the right information on such issues can play a role in

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Celebrity alimony issues may interest Massachusetts residents

Most Massachusetts residents know that going through a divorce does not necessarily mean that a person will never have to associate with their ex-spouse again. If the couple had children, they will likely have to interact for custody purposes, and alimony payments can also keep a former couple’s life connected. Even celebrities cannot simply cut a spouse out of their lives. Singer Marc Anthony is having issues with his ex-wife Dayanara Torres as she is attempting to have the alimony payments she receives increased. She believes that the $13,000 a month that Anthony pays to her should be increased to $113,000 for further care of their two children. She also claims that Anthony pays more alimony to Jennifer Lopez, with whom he also has two children. Anthony does not believe that his children need more money than he is already providing. He also states that he does not make as much money as his former wife seems to believe. On the subject of Jennifer Lopez and her children, Anthony claims that he does not pay alimony to her children. Though celebrity alimony cases can differ in some aspects from former couples in Massachusetts having such issues, there can also be some similarities. Individuals on either side of the situation may feel that alimony adjustments may be necessary for their situation. If this is the case, information on how to go about seeking such adjustments may allow concerned parties to discover how they should proceed with requesting an increase or decrease

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Cohabitation could affect Massachusetts alimony payments

After a divorce, it is not unlikely that a Massachusetts resident may have to pay spousal support to their ex-spouse. Alimony is often rewarded to parties who may be the most negatively affected by a divorce situation. However, there are certain issues that could arise that could lead to the end of alimony payments for certain individuals. Some of the most common reasons that a party may no longer have to pay alimony are if a death or remarriage occurs. However, there are also other points of contention that could lead to a halt in payments, such as cohabitation. If a recipient of alimony payments is considered to be in a “marriage-like” relationship in which the party resides with another individual and shares financial and other household aspects, the alimony that they have possibly been receiving could be stopped or reduced. If an alimony payor believes that the recipient is participating in a cohabitation situation, that individual may wish to have payments modified. However, proving that the recipient is, in fact, cohabitating may be more difficult to prove. A spouse accused of living in a marriage-like relationship and situation could potentially deny that the circumstances are true. If an alimony payor suspects cohabitation, that party may wish to assess the situation to determine whether moving forward with legal action might be right for the situation. Information on Massachusetts state laws concerning alimony could provide beneficial knowledge on how such circumstances may be treated. Seeking alimony modifications could have a significant

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Terrell Owens’ wife seeking alimony after 72 hour marriage

Massachusetts readers of this blog may be interested in recent developments surrounding the divorce of Terrell Owens. The former NFL player’s wife is claiming she needs alimony to maintain the lifestyle to which she grew accustomed during the time the two were married. She neglects to mention that the marriage lasted only about 72 hours. According to reports, Owens and Rachel Snider were married on Jan. 23. The marriage was over on Jan. 26. Owens filed for divorce almost immediately. Snider allegedly attempted suicide in response, according to online sources. Snider says the stories of a 72-hour marriage are misleading and not a true indication of the history she shares with Owens. She claims she and Owens have been involved in a secret relationship for the past five years. She said she now feels he married her solely to procure a $2 million loan. Snider is attempting to have Owens cover the cost of her legal expenses. She also plans to dispute Owens’ assertion that the two do not share any community property. Owens has taken on the role of attorney for himself. He says he plans to request that Snider be made responsible for the legal costs of the divorce. To date, he is not speaking publicly about the purported alimony request. Any couple going through a divorce, whether in Massachusetts or elsewhere, must make decisions on how they will move forward. Questions like alimony payments and division of property will inevitably come up. The way in which they

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