Lafayette Spousal Support Attorney
Spousal support can be awarded in a divorce to ensure spouses can financially support themselves. While it can be a contentious issue, it’s important to remember that the goal is to ensure fairness. The support of a Lafayette spousal support lawyer can be useful to advocate for that fairness. An alimony lawyer can help you understand Lafayette spousal support laws and fight for a fair amount for you to pay or receive.
Protecting Your Financial Future
Divorces are known for their financial strain on both spouses. If spousal support is not fair, one spouse may not have enough support, or a spouse may pay too much and be unable to provide for themselves. At The Thompson Law Office, LLC, we can help you protect your financial future.
We provide compassionate but aggressive legal defense in court. If you and your spouse can negotiate, we can help protect your interests while seeking a compromise. Our firm has decades of family law experience, and we can provide meticulous legal representation for your spousal support case. Family law cases are filed with the 15th Judicial District Court in Calcasieu Parish, and the Lafayette Courthouse is located on 800 S. Buchanan Street.
Understanding Spousal Support in Lafayette
In the U.S., the divorce rate in 2022 was 2.4 per 1,000, while the divorce rate in Louisiana was 0.7 per 1,000. This made it the state with the lowest divorce rate of all reporting states. When a divorce happens, spousal support is not always awarded. The family courts in Lafayette may provide support to a spouse if:
- They have the financial need for support
- They are free from fault in the divorce prior to filing the petition
There are two types of support the court may award: interim spousal support and final periodic spousal support.
Interim Spousal Support
This type of support is awarded while the divorce proceedings are ongoing. The court may award this support based on:
- The needs of the spouse requesting the support
- The ability of the other spouse to pay
- Whether either party has child support obligations
- The standard of living the couple enjoyed during the marriage
Interim spousal support will generally end shortly after the divorce is finalized.
Final Periodic Spousal Support
This type of support is awarded with the divorce decree and does not begin until any interim support has ended. The court determines the amount and duration of final support based on factors such as:
- Each spouse’s income, earning capacity, means, and liquidity
- Each spouse’s obligations, including child support
- How long will it take the supported spouse to obtain the education or training needed to support themselves
- How child custody affects the custodial parent’s earning capacity
- Each spouse’s age and health
- The length of the marriage
- Tax consequences to either party
- Whether there was any domestic abuse against the spouse requesting support or their children
In some cases, the court assumes the requesting spouse is entitled to support, like divorces filed on the grounds of domestic abuse.
Why Should I Hire a Spousal Support Lawyer?
You should hire a spousal support lawyer because it can significantly benefit the outcome of your divorce and prevent you from resolving the divorce with insufficient financial support. A spousal support attorney helps determine if alimony is likely and how to advocate to the court for a fair amount.
Work With Skilled Legal Support
When you need empathetic and dedicated legal representation, contact The Thompson Law Office, LLC for support with your family law case.
