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Is spousal support the same thing as alimony?

Yes, it is. In California, it is often called spousal support but has the same purpose as alimony, which is to keep up the former spouse’s standard of living after the marriage has been terminated. It is common that one spouse hasn’t been working for a while, which will make it difficult for them to keep up the same standard of living they have become accustomed to in marriage. Spousal support orders cover however long it takes for the former spouse being supported to either find a good job or to remarry.

Is spousal support similar to child support, where it is just a computer calculation?

In short, it’s not. The court will typically use a Dissomaster, a program providing a computer analysis, for temporary spousal support. If it is permanent spousal support, on the other hand, the judge must determine it according to a statutory set of rules and factors.

Is there a 10-year rule in California for lifetime support orders?

There is not. If a marriage has been ongoing for 10 years or more, it is considered a long duration marriage, meaning that the court will not set up a termination date for spousal support during the trial. However, the court may not provide lifetime spousal support, even in these cases of long duration marriages. Instead, the court will maintain jurisdiction over the lifetime spousal support, which includes terminating it if the spouse being supported has not become self-sufficient in a reasonable timeframe.

Can I get my obligations for spousal support reduced is my income is reduced?

Yes, you can. You can make a motion to the court in order to have your spousal support modified.

Will my spousal support continue to increase if my income goes up?

No worries, you don’t need to worry about this. The purpose of spousal support is to make sure the former spouse is supported enough to maintain their former standards of living from during the marriage. If the court comes to the decision that their spousal support demands exceed this standard of living, you won’t need to pay any additional money to them.

Important Note

All of the above questions are related to scenarios where both parties do not come to an agreement outside of court regarding spousal support.

This also means that any of the above information can be nullified if both parties create an agreement together.

We encourage you to work together to make these out of court settlements as it takes care of many issues you may face otherwise in court. Feel free to call us today for a free consultation about individual situation and how to handle it.

“Farbod Majd Esq.
Divorce Attorney w/ offices in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles
Services in English, Turkish, and Farsi/Persian (Iranian/American Lawyer)

8383 Wilshire Blvd Suite 646, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

310.956.4600 | Fax: 310.878.8989 | [email protected]