Frequently, spouses have vastly different incomes. They combine their financial resources and efforts to maintain a relatively comfortable standard of living during marriage. If they, however, one spouse might face a far less comfortable future than the other.
Spousal maintenance can help make the outcome of a bit fairer. Also known as alimony or spousal support in other states, Minnesota spousal maintenance involves one spouse making regular payments to the other during or after proceedings. As such, people preparing for high-asset s may need to understand the three critical details about spousal maintenance briefly explained below.
1. Spousal maintenance is not automatic
If couples with minor children , it is standard practice for the courts to calculate child support obligations and impose a financial responsibility on one parent. Social maintenance is different. Children depend completely on their parents, but spouses potentially have the opportunity to support themselves. Therefore, those hoping to secure spousal maintenance have to petition the courts and establish that maintenance is necessary and appropriate given their circumstances.
2. There are multiple types of maintenance
The courts can order maintenance for the duration of the process. They can also order temporary or transitional maintenance that persists for a set amount of time. Usually, the goal is to help one spouse achieve independence by pursuing an education or restarting their career. Indefinite or permanent maintenance is typically only an option in the most unusual and challenging of circumstances.
3. New relationships affect maintenance
The courts can reduce or even terminate spousal maintenance orders when the relationship status of the recipient spouse changes. If the paying spouse remarries, their new marital status does not influence the obligations that they have to their former spouse. If the party receiving maintenance remarries, the courts typically expect their new spouse to provide the support that previously came from maintenance. In fact, it may be possible to reduce or terminate maintenance if the recipient spouse begins cohabitating with a romantic partner. Living with a roommate does not affect maintenance obligations, but moving in with a new romantic partner could lead to a reduction in maintenance or the early termination of an order.
Learning about spousal maintenance can help people seek appropriate support in a high-asset scenario. Lower-earning and dependent spouses are often eligible for financial support at the end of a marriage if they can demonstrate need and follow the right procedures.