Although your marriage may not have panned out as you hoped, it likely provided you with a comfortable living situation and financial stability. As such, now that you’ve decided to end your marriage, you may be worried about your financial security. Alimony can be a valuable resource while transitioning towards financial independence. In most cases, alimony is temporary. However, many people wonder whether an alimony order can be permanent. Please continue reading to learn if alimony is permanent in New Jersey and how an adept Middlesex County, New Jersey, Alimony Lawyer can help you fight for the just compensation you deserve and need.
What are the different types of alimony in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, alimony is awarded when one spouse has a lower income or less earning potential, which can prove their actual need for this mandated financial support and the higher-earning spouse’s ability to afford this type of maintenance. There are four primary types of alimony in New Jersey:
- Non-durational Alimony: This is similar to “permanent alimony,” as it is an open-ended alimony agreement that continues with no predetermined end date.
- Durational Alimony: This is the payment of a predetermined amount to a dependent spouse for a specified period.
- Rehabilitative Alimony: This is awarded when the financially dependent spouse requires financial support to gain education or vocational training to become financially independent in the future.
- Reimbursement Alimony: This type of alimony is intended to reimburse one spouse for financial contributions to their counterpart’s education or career advancements. Typically, this is ordered when one spouse stays home to care for the children while the other spouse is the “breadwinner.”
Is it possible to receive permanent alimony in New Jersey?
For the most part, alimony is temporary. If your marriage has lasted for less than twenty years, the court limits the amount of time that you can receive alimony to the amount of time that you were married. However, if your marriage has lasted for more than 20 years, you may be eligible to receive permanent alimony. Nevertheless, even temporary support can allow the spouse with a lower income or less earning potential time to become self-sufficient.
It’s crucial to note that permanent alimony can only be ordered in “exceptional circumstances,” which includes:
- The age of each spouse at the time of the marriage and divorce
- The degree to which one spouse is financially dependent on the other spouse
- Whether one spouse has received a much more significant portion of marital assets
- The impact of the marriage on a spouse’s ability to become self-supporting
- Tax implications
- Any other relevant factors
New Jersey alimony reform laws have eliminated permanent alimony unless you fall under the exceptional situations category. If you were divorced before the reform was enforced in 2014, you may still receive or owe permanent alimony.
For more information about alimony in New Jersey, please don’t hesitate to contact a knowledgeable Middlesex County, New Jersey, family law attorney from the Law Offices of Aditya Surti, LLC, who can help you fight for the outcome you need.
