Chicago Spousal Maintenance Lawyer

Quality Legal Representation for Payors and Recipients in Chicago

In any divorce, the issue of spousal maintenance, commonly known as alimony, is crucial. Whether the court grants you an award or obliges you to pay, the amount of maintenance ordered has a significant impact on your financial future. At Arami Law, we have more than a decade of experience negotiating and litigating spousal support issues. We provide quality representation that includes an in-depth analysis of your finances so the court has accurate information on which to base its decision.

What kind of alimony is available in Illinois?

Illinois law provides for various types of spousal maintenance. The following options are available:

• Permanent maintenance — Courts may award lifetime support for lengthy marriages if it would be unreasonable to expect the recipient party to achieve a standard of living that compares favorably to that enjoyed during the union.
• Temporary maintenance — Courts usually award support for a dependent spouse during the divorce process.
• Rehabilitative maintenance — Courts understand that a dependent spouse may not become self-supporting immediately and often grant maintenance for a specific interim period.
• Reviewable maintenance — The ability to return to the job market is often unpredictable, so the court may set an initial maintenance schedule and a future date to determine if support should be modified, extended, or terminated.

Alimony orders remain in effect until the death of either spouse or the remarriage of the recipient spouse. As a payor, you can petition the court to modify or terminate alimony if there is a substantial change in circumstances. For example, if the recipient spouse begins cohabitating with a partner who provides support, you could argue that continuing to pay alimony is grossly unfair.

How Illinois courts decide spousal support

The court considers several factors when deciding whether to award alimony. The following circumstances are also used to determine how much of an award would be fair:

• The length of the marriage
• The difference between the spouse’s earnings
• Whether there are children and, if so, which spouse will have custody
• Whether one spouse gave up career opportunities for the marriage
• The age of the spouses
• The health of the spouses
• Each spouse’s ability to earn income and acquire assets in the future
• The standard of living enjoyed during the marriage

In reality, the court can consider any fact it deems relevant to the discussion. For this reason, you need an experienced family law attorney to manage your divorce.

Get aggressive representation for spousal maintenance issues

Arami Law represents spouses on both sides of the alimony issue. We understand how important a fair court order is to your financial future, so we work diligently toward the best possible result. To schedule a consultation with a skilled divorce attorney, contact our Chicago office online.