Many of our contested Memphis Divorce clients have questions concerning alimony. What is alimony? How do I get alimony? Will I have to pay my spouse alimony? And for how long? Before answering any of those questions it’s important for you to understand what exactly is alimony, and what types of alimony there are in Memphis divorce cases.

Alimony is defined as financial support of a former spouse. You generally can have two types of alimony in a Memphis Divorce case, either permanent alimony or rehabilitative alimony. At the Ferrell Law Firm, in Memphis, Tennessee, we represent men and women who are dealing with spousal support issues. We recognize and understand that alimony is a sensitive issue in many Memphis divorces. Because of this we are committed to giving you straight-forward advice on Memphis divorce alimony matters, even if you may not like what we have to say.

Basically, alimony or spousal maintenance is paid by one spouse to help maintain the standard of living their former spouse had during the marriage. However, there are several different forms of alimony:

• Alimony in futuro – This is the type of alimony most people in Memphis think of when they hear the word ”alimony.” This is permanent alimony paid to your former spouse until they die or remarry. While this type of support used to be more common it is not seen as often with couples who have been married a relatively short amount of time.
• Rehabilitative alimony – A dependent spouse may be awarded rehabilitative alimony until they are able to get back into the work force and become sufficient on their own. This type of alimony is often awarded to people who left careers to help raise families. Once the dependent spouse reenters the work force and become self-sufficient again this rehabilitative alimony usually goes away.
• Transitional alimony – This is a type of temporary alimony paid to one spouse for a certain specified period of time while they transition from being married to being single. This is generally a short term alimony.
• Alimony in solido – In some Memphis contested divorce cases, alimony payments may be ordered to adjust for an imbalance in the division of marital property. This form of alimony is more commonly referred to as lump sum alimony. In this type of alimony their is only a one time payment.

Alimony laws in Memphis, Tennessee take a number of factors into consideration when ordering alimony as part of a divorce settlement. However, Memphis divorce courts usually favor temporary and rehabilitative alimony over permanent alimony. We can work with you to understand your situation and help establish a spousal support arrangement that is in your current and long-term interests.

Contact our Memphis, Tennessee, Divorce Attorneys if you are considering divorce and have questions about alimony or spousal support. We can be reached by phone at (901) 754.1340 or on our Contact page.