The amount of alimony you get is dependent on your financial situation. We touched on the factors of alimony that will determine what category you fall in or whether alimony is even a good idea or not.

These are the four main types of alimony in divorce law:

Temporary spousal support. This is given when the couple is separated but not yet legally divorced. This is awarded such that the receiving spouse can maintain their lifestyle until the proceedings are finalized.

Rehabilitative spousal support. Only set for a short period of time, this type of alimony is geared to help the lower-earning spouse to get training or an entry-level job to become financially independent. The amount given will take into account the cost of education and inability to work full-time in this duration. Another typical scenario for this kind of support is when the wife is also taking care of toddler children until they reach school-going age. A note of caution to receiving spouses: you would want to make sure that the end date for spousal support can be open for review later. This means you can ask for your case to be evaluated by the court should you need to continue or change the amount of money needed if your circumstances demand for it.

Permanent spousal support. This kind of alimony applies only to long-term marriages and to full-time homemakers and parents. The payouts will continue until the recipient remarries or the payor passes away. In your negotiation, it would be worth considering to request to be the beneficiary of your ex’s insurance policy. When your ex dies, this source of income will also stop, so if this is your only financial source, you could suffer. Make sure your divorce papers include the ability to make adjustments to the amount of alimony should you encounter major life-changing events like loss of a job or a serious illness.

Reimbursement spousal support. Candidates for this category are those who supported their spouse when they were pursuing higher education and not working. For example, you could have been married to a medical student but you were holding down a full-time job. These payments are calculated give you back the money that you contributed to the marriage during this period time and the benefits of this advanced degree. This could be received in a single settlement or installments.

Related posts:
Part 1: More men are receiving alimony
Part 2: Factors that determine alimony

Related posts:

1. Alimony: A thorny part of divorce Part 2 – Factors that determine alimony
2. Alimony: A thorny part of divorce Part I - A Prologue: More men are receiving alimony
3. Alimony: A thorny part of divorce - Part 4: Alimony and Taxes: How to play it right

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