How Do I Get My Wife Off Drugs?

Posts Tagged ‘Alimony’

My wife never wants to work as we had to leave her home town where she was working for her dads business and has no other skills and a high school dropout.We lately had lot of financial problems because of her wayward ways of spending on drugs and clubs while I am working my ass off. I stopped putting money in joint account as she blows them away in cold cash with no proof of tracking expenses but instead give her weekly dollars for her cigarettes and other personal expenses rest of the bills I pay and She says in marriage everything is half and half. How can this be true if u contribute u can ask for half and half she neither does any work at home sleeping half the tiem nad smoking pot the rest of the time. She says she will divorce me if I don’t start putting the entire pay check in our checking account and subjecting me to a lot of verbal and emotional abuse.She was not like this when we started. My point is I too want to end this and go for divorce what are the chances of she getting alimony and how much ? We have been married for 3 years ..
Thanks for all answers. The sad part is I really want her to change she is good to her friends but really complacent in marriage. But all i get being called selfish as she says I expect things from her by doing things any other man would do for his wife (like paying bills and everything else)

My wife and I are separating. We live in Missouri. She hasn’t worked since we’ve been married which would be 6 years this January. She is fully capable of working, but chose to live off my income instead. She is threatening to sue me for alimony if I don’t agree to financially support her voluntarily. She receives child support from her ex husband, albeit a menial amount. We have no biological children. Can she successfully sue me and if so for how much? Also, she’s in treatment for heroin addiction which of course I can’t prove. I don’t know if that could be used for leverage.

One of the most common questions I get when I first meet with a person considering divorce or separation concerns alimony. It is natural to wonder early on in a divorce process what kind of alimony obligation there might be. However, it is one of the more complicated aspects of Family Law, which makes this common question difficult to answer. In this article I give an overview of the topic of alimony and some examples of why negotiation of alimony issues is serious business.

SC Law
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In South Carolina, the Code of Laws requires the Courts to consider thirteen separate factors in choosing to award alimony, how much to award and the length of the obligation. The law does not address any of these issues specifically. Factors to be considered include the length of the marriage, the disparity of earnings between the parties, future earnings potential of each party, the education levels attained by the parties, mental or physical health issues and marital misconduct or “fault”. The statute is gender neutral so, in South Carolina, women and men are equally eligible to participate in paying or receiving alimony.

South Carolina is Liberal on Alimony
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South Carolina is known as a “liberal” alimony state, meaning that it is one of a few states where a person can be obligated to pay a generous amount of alimony on a permanent basis. The law reflects the notion that a person has a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to support their spouse. A South Carolina Family Court Judge will generally not be reversed on appeal for giving too much alimony for too long, but he or she will more likely be reversed for awarding alimony that is insufficient in amount and duration.

How Much for How Long?
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In South Carolina, alimony can be awarded in different ways depending on the specific circumstances of the parties. Alimony awards can be permanent/periodic, lump sum or rehabilitative, taxable and non-taxable in nature. There is no definitive mathematical formula used to determine the amount of an alimony award. Several computer programs are helpful in analyzing alimony obligations (I rely on one myself), but none are determinative. One way to get a general understanding of an alimony obligation is to determine the monthly living expenses for the spouse with the smaller income. If the after-tax income of that spouse leaves them short of their reasonable monthly living expenses, then a Court will likely seek to make up the difference or even balance the incomes with funds from the spouse with the greater income.
Similarly, the law does not specify criteria to determine the duration of an alimony obligation. A marriage of 12 to 15 years very often results in a permanent alimony obligation in South Carolina, but not necessarily (providing, of course, that an obligation exists in the first place). Legal authority exists in South Carolina for a permanent alimony award resulting from a marriage of only one year! Permanent alimony can only end upon the death of either spouse or upon the re-marriage or co-habitation of the supported spouse.

Can it be Modified?
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Alimony is always modifiable if it is awarded on a permanent basis, but only upon a showing that there exists a substantial change in circumstances. Our courts have ruled that a 20% increase in income by former husband did not support the former wife’s request for increase in her monthly award. An issue that is becoming increasingly common with the aging of baby boomers is the extension of alimony obligations into retirement years. It is important to understand that retirement will not necessarily suffice as a change in circumstance to warrant a decrease in alimony. Each request for modification of alimony will turn on the facts specific to the parties involved.

Can it be Avoided?
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The only absolute prohibition to an alimony award is if the spouse requesting alimony has committed adultery. Other forms of fault, such as physical cruelty, habitual alcoholism and abandonment will not necessarily bar alimony, but may effect the amount or duration of the award, up or down, depending on where the fault is placed.

The Bottom Line
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At the risk of sounding self-serving, my advice is to always negotiate alimony with the assistance of a qualified family law attorney. I have worked with several clients who previously paid a huge price as a result of negotiating on their own or going along with advice they did not understand. The financial exposure can be overwhelming. Given the complicated nature of most couples’ financial lives, it is simply too risky to negotiate alimony without sound legal advice.

Alimony is payments that one spouse may be ordered to pay another spouse for support as a result of a divorce. In Rhode Island Divorce, some spouses qualify for  alimony from the other spouse. Alimony is also known as Spousal Support or Spousal Maintenance.

R.I.G.L 15-5-16 delineates the factors that the Rhode Island Family Court Judge should use in determining whether a Husband or Wife Qualifies for Alimony payment from the other spouse.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court Stated “Alimony is a rehabilitative tool intended to provide temporary support until a spouse is self-sufficient, and is based purely on need.” Berard v. Berard  The Rhode Island Alimony statute is set forth below. You should contact David Slepkow to get legal advice concerning your case.

Rhode Island Lawyer David Slepkow  401-437-1100 has also written over 50 Rhode Island Law Articles about Divorce, Child Support, Child Custody, Child Visitation, Post Divorce, Common Law marriage etc.

Generally, Alimony is awarded for a specific period of time, in increments which are usually weekly or monthly. Alimony could be awarded as a result of a Divorce settlement. If a party requests alimony or is unwilling to waive alimony and the parties cannot agree to an alimony award, then alimony may be awarded at the divorce trial.

Temporary Alimony may be awarded by the Rhode Island Family Court  towards the beginning of the RI divorce. This temporary Alimony award will stay in effect until the final decision by the Rhode Island Family Court Judge at the RI Divorce Trial.

The intent of alimony is rehabilitative in nature. “alimony should be ‘payable for a short, but specific and terminable period of time, which will cease when the recipient is, in the exerciseof reasonable efforts, in a position of self-support.’” Thompson v. Thompson

Alimony is usually awarded on a temporary basis but can be awarded on an indefinite and (perhaps what turns out to be permanent) basis if the facts justify indefinite alimony. The Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that “Alimony may be awarded even for an indefinite period as long as the trial justice considers all the statutory factors.”

Indefinite alimony may be ordered in a case where a party is seriously disabled or as a result of old age is unable to work. Indefinite alimony could also be awarded in a plethora of different factual circumstances.

The Court must look at “The health, age, station, occupation, amount and source of income, vocational skills, and employability of the parties” in making an alimony determination.

Ability to pay is a crucial factor in determining the amount of alimony and whether or not alimony should be awarded. There are many cases in which a spouse is in desperate need of alimony but the other spouse does not have the ability to pay sufficient alimony. In some cases, the spouse does not have an ability to pay because of a child support obligation to the other spouse or child support owed for other children.

Furthermore, according to The Rhode Island Supreme Court, “Section 15-5-16 does not explicitly prohibit one lump-sum award.” However,  lump sum award alimony appears to be disfavored under RI Law.

The best candidate for alimony is a spouse who put aside his or her career ambitions for many years to be a homemaker and care for the children. As a result of the role of nurturing the children and establishing and maintaining a home, the other spouse was able to advance his or her career in order to be able to afford to pay alimony.

In some cases, the family made a decision that one parent would put aside his or her career aspirations to raise a child or minor children. As a result, the homemaker’s skill set is so outmoded that he or she is unable to obtain suitable employment. This is usually because the homemaker’s job skills, employment history, licenses, training, skills, experience or degrees became outmoded or irrelevant. Perhaps the person does not have enough of an employment history to be able to be self supporting and self sufficient without receiving alimony. In some cases the spouse is unable to work because the spouse currently has a physical custody and placement of a young child.

For this type of person, the intent of an award of Rehabilitative Alimony would be to allow a person to build a work history, advance his or her education, employment training, licenses etc. so that the person can be self supporting and self sufficient in the future.

Another type of person who is an excellent candidate for alimony is a person who is temporarily disabled or permanently disabled especially if the marriage has been a long marriage. Another good candidate for alimony is a spouse who has severely disabled children which renders it difficult  or impossible for the person to seek employment.

“The assignment of property must precede any determination of alimony because the needs ofeach party will be affected by the equitable distribution of the marital estate.Section 15-5-16.1(c). In determining the amount of alimony, the court must consider: “(i) [t]helength of the marriage; (ii) [t]he conduct of the parties during the marriage; (iii) [t]he health, age,station, occupation, amount and source of income, vocational skills, and employability of theparties; and (iv) [t]he state and the liabilities and needs of each of the parties.” Section15-5-16(b)(1).6

Rhode Island Child Custody and Placement plays a role in an alimony determination. If the parties have children, the Court must also make an award of Rhode Island Child Support before the Court determines an alimony award.  The Child Support award plays a large role in determining the resources of the parent with physical custody of the minor child. A child support  http://www.slepkowlaw.com order also may severely affect  a n individuals ability to afford alimony in the future.

The needs and expenses of both parties is crucial in determining alimony. Needs and expenses are intertwined with the standard of living of the parties. The Court may look at the following types of expenses and needs: rent, mortgage, taxes, insurance, food, health insurance, uninsured medical expenses, prescription expenses, dental expenses, cable, internet, utilities, heat, gas , vehicle expenses etc.

Although conduct is a factor in alimony determinations per the RI Alimony Statute, it is not a significant factor since alimony is basically need based. Conduct such as an affair, drug or alcohol addiction, gambling problem, domestic violence plays more of a role in equitable division of assets then in an Alimony determination.

An award of alimony has Federal Income Tax consequences. Alimony is taxable to the spouse who receives the alimony and is deductible by the spouse who pays alimony. In order to qualify as alimony,

Alimony must terminate on the death of the payee spouse and upon the remarriage of the payee spouse. Payment of alimony is a taxable event to the payee spouse.

This is very different from payment of child support. Payment of child support is a non taxable event. The parent who pays child support is not entitled to a deduction for payment and the receiving spouse does not include the payment as income. Therefore it is tax free money to the parent who receives the child support.26 U.S.C.A. 71.

The IRS has rules and regulations concerning what types of payments constitute alimony. The IRS has rules and regulations concerning when a parent tries to mask child support payments as alimony. Please consult with a Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Attorney concerning the tax implications and rules concerning Alimony. A detailed explanation of tax rules, laws and regulations as they pertain to Alimony is beyond the scope of this article.

The designation of payments as alimony rather than property distribution has consequences in Bankruptcy Proceedings. An alimony award is generally not dischargeable in Bankruptcy. The interrelation between Family Law, Alimony and Bankruptcy is also beyond the scope of this article. Please consult with a Rhode Island Bankruptcy Lawyer/ Attorney.

Another important issue, perhaps crucial issue, is whether or not the parties enter into a property settlement agreement in the divorce.  In order for the alimony to be completely non modifiable, the alimony must be agreed to in a Property settlement agreement. The Court has no power to modify a property settlement agreement. A Court can only enforce or interpret a property settlement agreement. In the event of impossibility of payment, the Court could award equitable relief, equitably reforming the contract between the parties.  Please contact a Rhode Island Divorce Attorney concerning whether or not it is advisable to draft a Property Settlement agreement in your case.

Proper drafting of a Property Settlement Agreement and Alimony provisions in a Property Settlement Agreement is beyond the scope of this article.

The length of the marriage is a very important factor that the RI Family Court Judge looks at in determining Alimony. The Court also needs to hear testimony concerning the party requesting alimony plan to become self supporting and self sufficient.

The Court can also look at the relative ability of both spouses to earn income and or acquire assets and property in the future.

If a person is ordered to pay alimony and does not pay alimony, the other person can file a contempt motion. If a person is found in willful contempt of a Court order they could be jailed until they purge themselves of the contempt. Rhode Island Family Court judges take failure to comply with their alimony orders very seriously. If the Alimony award is modifiable, either party could file a motion to modify the alimony based on a substantial change in circumstances.

§ 15-5-16 Alimony and counsel fees – Custody of children.

(a) In granting any petition for divorce, divorce from bed and board, or relief without the commencement of divorce proceedings, the family court may order either of the parties to pay alimony or counsel fees, or both, to the other.

(b) In determining the amount of alimony or counsel fees, if any, to be paid, the court, after hearing the witnesses, if any, of each party, shall consider:

(i) The length of the marriage;

(ii) The conduct of the parties during the marriage;

(iii) The health, age, station, occupation, amount and source of income, vocational skills, and employability of the parties; and

(iv) The state and the liabilities and needs of each of the parties.

(2) In addition, the court shall consider:

(i) The extent to which either party is unable to support herself or himself adequately because that party is the primary physical custodian of a child whose age, condition, or circumstances make it appropriate that the parent not seek employment outside the home, or seek only part-time or flexible-hour employment outside the home;

(ii) The extent to which either party is unable to support herself or himself adequately with consideration given to:

(A) The extent to which a party was absent from employment while fulfilling homemaking responsibilities, and the extent to which any education, skills, or experience of that party have become outmoded and his or her earning capacity diminished;

(B) The time and expense required for the supported spouse to acquire the appropriate education or training to develop marketable skills and find appropriate employment;

(C) The probability, given a party’s age and skills, of completing education or training and becoming self-supporting;

(D) The standard of living during the marriage;

(E) The opportunity of either party for future acquisition of capital assets and income;

(F) The ability to pay of the supporting spouse, taking into account the supporting spouse’s earning capacity, earned and unearned income, assets, debts, and standard of living;

(G) Any other factor which the court expressly finds to be just and proper.

(c) For the purposes of this section, “alimony” is construed as payments for the support or maintenance of either the husband or the wife.

(2) Alimony is designed to provide support for a spouse for a reasonable length of time to enable the recipient to become financially independent and self-sufficient. However, the court may award alimony for an indefinite period of time when it is appropriate in the discretion of the court based upon the factors set forth in subdivision (b)(2)(ii)(B). After a decree for alimony has been entered, the court may from time to time upon the petition of either party review and alter its decree relative to the amount and payment of the alimony, and may make any decree relative to it which it might have made in the original suit. The decree may be made retroactive in the court’s discretion to the date that the court finds that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred; provided, the court shall set forth in its decision the specific findings of fact which show a substantial change in circumstances and upon which findings of facts the court has decided to make the decree retroactive. Nothing provided in this section shall affect the power of the court as subsequently provided by law to alter, amend, or annul any order of alimony previously entered. Upon the remarriage of the spouse who is receiving alimony, the obligation to pay alimony shall automatically terminate at once.”

Rhode island (RI) Attorney David Slepkow Represents clients in all Rhode Island (RI) Counties including: Providence County Family Court (Providence, East Providence, Cranston, Barrington, Bristol, Warren, Pawtucket etc.), Kent County Family Court (Warwick, Coventry Etc.,) Newport County Family Court (Tiverton, Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown), Washington County Family Court ( South Kingstown, Wakefield etc.)

Rhode Island legal Notice per RI Rules of Professional Responsibility:

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all Lawyers / Attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.

David Slepkow is a Rhode Island lawyer concentrating in Divorce, Family law, Restraining Orders, Child Custody, Child Support, DCYF, Post Divorce, Relocation out of State Personal Injury and Automobile / Car Accidents.

David has been practicing since 1997 and is licensed in Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA) and Federal Court. Free Initial Consultations. Credit Cards Accepted.