Expert Spousal Support Lawyers Serving Santa Rosa, CA

Spousal support is one of many issues you may encounter in the divorce or post-divorce process.  Whether you are the maintenance-receiving spouse or the paying spouse, a spousal support award will have a dramatic impact on your economic and financial future At the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., our Santa Rosa spousal support attorney has the skills and knowledge needed to provide you with competent, knowledgeable legal assistance throughout your spousal support matter. We provide legal counsel that are:

• Open and honest communicators and advisors;
• Comprehensive case evaluators; and
• Extensively educated in spousal support factors and deviations.

Contact our office in Santa Rosa now to discuss your spousal support case with a professional.

Let Our Santa Rosa Spousal Support Attorneys Help You

A skilled spousal support attorney does more than protect your legal rights and finances throughout your divorce or spousal support modification case. At the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., our spousal support attorneys do the following and more on your behalf:

• Ensure you understand California’s spousal support laws and their effect on your case;
• Reduce the emotional tension and stress by handling all legal aspects of your case;
• Negotiate any alimony payments with your spouse or their attorney;
• Compile necessary evidence to support your position before the court;
• Retain any needed financial experts to help your case; and
• Take your case to trial when necessary.

If you need spousal support or a spousal support modification, contact the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. for professional guidance and answers to your legal questions and concerns.

Types of Spousal Support

There are three types of spousal support available in California.  These are temporary, rehabilitative, and permanent spousal support.

Temporary spousal support is spousal support awarded during the pendency of a divorce.  This support is based on California’s spousal support guidelines.  It ends when the divorce is finalized.

Rehabilitative support is the most common type of spousal support in California.  The goal of rehabilitative support is to allow the lower-earning spouse the opportunity to gain job skills or education and become self-supporting.

Permanent spousal support is awarded only in long-term marriages where a spouse cannot work or the disparity of income will never be eliminated.

How the Court Determines Spousal Support

To receive spousal support in Santa Rosa, one spouse must have a financial need for support, and the other spouse must have the ability to pay support.  Otherwise, the court will not consider a spousal support award.

Except for temporary spousal support and reimbursement support, the court looks to the following factors when determining spousal support award:

• Each spouse’s earning capacity;
• The extent to which the supported spouse contributed to the other’s educational degree or professional license during the marriage;
• The paying spouse’s ability to pay spousal support, considering earning capacity, earned and unearned income, assets, and standard of living;
• Each spouse’s needs, based on the marital standard of living;
• Each spouse’s debts and assets, including separate property;
• The length of the marriage;
• The supported spouse’s ability to become employed without interfering with the care of the parties’ minor children;
• Each party’s age and health;
• Whether there is a documented history of domestic violence against either party or the children;
• The tax consequences to each party;
• The balance of hardships to each party;
• The goal that the recipient spouse will be self-supporting within a reasonable period;
• Any criminal conviction of an abusive spouse; and
• Any other factors that the court wishes to consider.

When deciding on reimbursement support, the court considers the amount of money one spouse spent on the spouse’s career or education.

Modification of Spousal Support in Santa Rosa

The court can modify or terminate spousal support upon the request of either spouse if there is a significant change of circumstances since the original order.  This could include illness, disability, or failure to make a good-faith effort to become self-supporting.

Contact Our Seasoned Santa Rosa Spousal Support Lawyer Today

A request for spousal support can make a difficult divorce more contentious.  However, the skilled attorneys at the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. have the knowledge and ability to handle requests for alimony whether you are the potential payee or payor.

To discuss alimony during your divorce or a potential alimony modification, call the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. in Santa Rosa today and speak with a legal professional.