There was a time when nonworking spouses in Rhode Island and around the country could expect to receive alimony for prolonged periods or even permanently after a divorce, but this type is rarely awarded today. Instead, spousal support is usually awarded for as long as it takes for stay-at-home parents or nonworking spouses to become self-supportive through job training or education. This is known as temporary or rehabilitative alimony.
A period of transition
The period during which nonworking spouses or stay-at-home parents receive financial support from their former husbands or wives is often a difficult one. Spouses who rarely paid attention to financial matters must quickly learn how to manage a household budget, deal with credit ratings and find a way to put money aside for emergencies. They must also do this while making ends meet on a single income. Family law judges understand this, which is why they usually give spouses plenty of time to acquire the skills they will need.
Alimony in Rhode Island
When judges in Rhode Island consider alimony requests, they base their decisions on factors including the length of the marriage, the incomes and financial obligations of each spouse and the needs of any children involved. Permanent alimony awards are rare, but this kind of support may be granted when the spouse seeking it is disabled or otherwise incapable of supporting themselves.
A new chapter
Going through a divorce and learning to cope with a new financial paradigm can be extremely stressful, but it is often preferable to staying in a marriage that no longer makes either spouse happy. Alimony is rarely awarded permanently, but it usually provides spouses with enough financial support to achieve self-sufficiency and embrace the challenges and opportunities that a new life’s chapter provides.