Dissolving a marriage can be a difficult decision to make. Often, it is followed by a string of other questions relating to the divorce, such as who will get custody of the children and who gets to keep the SUV. Families in New Jersey and elsewhere must make these types of decisions in order to move on with their lives and start fresh. Recently, a model who was married to a famous movie director filed for divorce.
The model, Liberty Ross, filed for divorce from director Rupert Sanders. Ross seeks joint custody of their two children. She has also requested alimony and that Sanders pay her attorney’s fees. Sanders, in response, has also requested joint custody.
The alimony Ross requested is also known as spousal support. Couples can obtain alimony by agreement, or in the alternative, ask the court to award it. By providing monthly payments, alimony is meant to minimize any unbalanced financial impact a divorce may have on a spouse who does not work, or earns less than their spouse. The amount of time it will take for a spouse receiving alimony to become self-supporting and the length of time the couple was married are factors the court may take into consideration when determining how much alimony should be paid.
While divorce is often a difficult decision to make, it is important for the couple to remember that it is in the best interests of both of them, as well as any children involved, to cooperate and work together so that they may each move on and begin their new lives. It is also important for a person going through a divorce to understand how alimony works because the court has wide discretion in determining whether it will be awarded and, if so, how much and for how long. A lack of knowledge could lead to a person paying too much, or receiving too little.
Source: USAToday, “Liberty Ross, Jimmy lovine are ‘spending time together’,” Joyce Chen, Feb. 11, 2013
