Alimony in Georgia

When a celebrity couple gets divorced, the details of their settlement often make headlines. Take Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, for example. You may have heard through the grapevine that Mr. Banderas will be paying Ms. Griffith $65,000 per month in alimony, also known as “spousal support”. You may be wondering where on earth that number came from and, certainly if you are contemplating divorce yourself, you are probably wondering what you may be entitled to or required to pay.

A Guide to Alimony

Alimony is financial support which is paid by one former spouse to the other. Alimony can be agreed upon in a settlement agreement or ordered by the court. Typically, the higher-earning spouse will be required to make periodic (usually monthly) payments to the lower earning spouse.

Alimony is not always awarded. The spouse seeking alimony must generally prove that they truly need the financial support and that their former spouse has the ability to pay a certain amount of alimony.

When determining the appropriate amount of spousal support, the court will consider a number of factors, including but not limited to:

• The length of the marriage;
• The parties’ standard of living;
• The financial resources of each spouse;
• The contribution of each party to the marriage, such as homemaking, child care, support of the education and/or career-building of the other party; and
• The “big picture” condition of the parties in the divorce, including the separate estates, how the assets were divided, the earning capacity of each, and any fixed liabilities.

As you can see, the court has a high degree of latitude in determining whether and how much alimony to award. Whether you stand to be on the giving or the receiving end, it is important to have an experienced attorney in your corner. The attorneys at Spooner & Associates are here to advocate for you. If you have questions related to alimony or any other aspect of divorce, don’t hesitate to call our office at (678) 714-1131 and schedule a consultation.

Spooner & Associates

Spooner and Associates, P.C., based in Suwanee, GA, is a firm of skilled litigators who are aggressive in the courtroom. However, when it is in our client’s best interests, we can handle cases through negotiation or methods of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation. Our experienced Gwinnett County attorneys help people in North Metro Atlanta solve their legal problems. In all of our cases, we determinedly represent our clients to get them results. Whether we are resolving a custody issue or a marital property issue related to a divorce, our lawyers are dedicated to the needs of each client.