Like many of the clients in Jersey City that our team here at Carolann M Aschoff PC has worked with in the past, you may be going in to your divorce proceedings concerned about how much you might be required to pay in alimony. These fears are natural, particularly if you were the primary wage-earner in your home. And while you might not have an issue providing your ex-spouse with some degree of financial assistance until they are fully capable of supporting themselves, you certainly do not want to be faced with an alimony obligation that put an excess burden on you.
Fortunately, alimony is typically not meant to be a long-term source of income. Rather, it is only required while your ex-spouse is not able to afford the standard of living you enjoyed while married. To ensure that this purpose is met, the state actually chooses from four different types of alimony when it is included as part of a divorce settlement. According to Section 34-23 of New Jersey’s state statutes, these types are:
- Reimbursement alimony
- Rehabilitative alimony
- Limited duration alimony
- Open durational alimony
Reimbursement alimony would be money paid to your ex-spouse to reimburse them from any expenses they covered to help you further your career (such as paying for your tuition while in school). Rehabilitative alimony is alimony paid only to the point that your ex-spouse is able to re-enter into the workforce and secure gainful employment. Limited duration alimony is similar, differing only in the fact that the court will typically assign date on which your obligation ends.
Open durational alimony may seem like an indefinite obligation, yet it actually terminates if and when your ex-spouse remarries. You can learn more about alimony and other aspects of your divorce case by continuing to explore our site.