Whether Texas spouses are living a lavish or more middle class lifestyle, their standard of living may come into play when divorce proceedings commence. Essentially, one’s standard of living may be taken into consideration when a court determines the amount of spousal support, or what is more commonly known as alimony. Understanding this concept could potentially be beneficial to a spouse who is fearful of being unable to maintain a similar lifestyle after a divorce.
In recent news, Josh Brown of the New York Giants was ordered by the court to pay spousal support to his former wife in the amount of $15,000 per month for a period of twenty-four months. In addition to spousal support, he was ordered to pay $4,000 per month in child support. The court most likely took into consideration the couple’s standard of living when determining these total payment amounts.
According to reports, he was making a net income of roughly $91,000 a month. His former wife apparently earned about $12,000 a month. Depending on certain factors and the couple’s debt to income ratio, it was determined that Ms. Brown was in need of alimony and Mr. Brown had the ability to pay.
There may be certain factors that could affect the amount of alimony, if any, a spouse may pay or receive. In order for many spouses to maintain their standards of living, an adequate amount of spousal support is needed after the dissolution of their marriages. If an individual happens to be a Texas spouse who is in need of alimony to maintain a similar lifestyle after a divorce, or maybe he or she believes their spouse is requesting significantly more alimony than his or her fair share, the assistance from an experienced family law attorney can significantly increase the chances of achieving their desired results.
Source: nydailynews.com, “Booted Giant Josh Brown to pay ex-wife $15K per month in support“, Christian Red, Jan. 11, 2017