Alimony awards are based on a variety of factors and needs couples entering the divorce process should understand beforehand. A 66-year old Georgia man was recently arrested for failure to pay alimony. The man is a former University System of Georgia regent and owned a Georgia newspaper. The man allegedly failed to pay nearly $200,000 in alimony payments and has been ordered to begin making payments or remain in jail. The man was jailed without bond and is facing charges of failure to pay alimony.
Alimony, or spousal support, may be awarded during divorce proceedings to one spouse at the end of a marriage during. In general, alimony is based on the needs of one spouse and the ability of the other spouse to pay. There are a variety of factors that may be considered when determining an award of alimony. Factors that may be taken into account can include the standard of living the couple enjoyed during the marriage; the length of the marriage; the finances of each spouse; the physical and emotional health of each spouse; the amount of time and cost that will be necessary for either spouse to obtain education or training to enable employment; and contributions to the marriage by either of the spouses such as homemaking, etc.
It is important to have a thorough understanding and knowledge of factors used to determine an alimony award. An alimony allowance ordered by the court must be paid to the recipient spouse. Because of this, it is important to have a careful knowledge of the factors the court will consider when arriving at an alimony award for one of the other of the spouses.
Divorce proceedings necessarily involve a variety of important determinations. Because a number of important decisions must be made, advance knowledge of the process may decrease uncertainty and lead to better outcomes for the parties involved.
Source: The Columbia County News-Times, "Former owner of The News-Times arrested over alimony," Valerie Rowell, June 18, 2014
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