Spousal and Partner Support

Santa Rosa Spousal Support Attorney

When a divorce occurs, it is often recognized that one partner may have the potential to make more income than the other and, therefore, have an obligation to provide some financial support to the other partner. Spousal support, sometimes referred to as alimony or spousal maintenance, can be a contentious issue with questions often surrounding the amount of support and how long support payments should last.

Contact Charles D. Stark.  As a Santa Rosa spousal support lawyer I have more than 40 years of experience helping people resolve support issues.  I can help evaluate complex financial landscapes and gather compelling evidence for why support should be granted or denied to an ex-spouse or partner based on 14 subjective socio-economic factors.

Determining a Fair and Reasonable Support Plan

Unlike child support payments, alimony payments are based on a number of different factors, including length of marriage, employment history, income earning potential, lifestyle and other factors. I can help you determine a support plan through litigation or other alternatives, including mediation or  collaborative law.

Two Types of Spousal Support: Temporary and Long Term

Early on in a family Law case, spousal support is set using computer derived guidelines. Spousal support is based on limited information available at separation, Temporary or pendente-lite support lasts during the court proceedings until final judgment. For the final judgment or settlement, spousal support is called permanent or long term and uses 14 socio-economic factors provided by the law, that must be applied to its determination of amount and duration. It is a complex analysis involving age, health, education, experience, length of marriage, contributions during marriage, earning capacity, and self-sufficiency. California policy encourages self-sufficiency at the earliest possible time, so there is little legal basis for stay at home child custodians.

Using my background as a business and real estate lawyer, I have gathered the strong financial foundation and legal tools needed to navigate complex money and property issues that come up during divorce and Separation cases. I know how to put the mechanisms in place to uncover hidden income and assets in order to plan a realistic picture of your former partner’s income potential. I can also help with post judgment modifications should a substantial change in circumstances require a change to support payments.

Contact a Sonoma County Partner Support Lawyer

If you are facing a divorce and want to know more about potential partner support obligations, speak with me. Contact me, a Santa Rosa spousal support attorney, or call 707-527-9900 to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your situation.

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