Spousal Support Lawyer

We provide strategic planning and guidance to help families navigate through the challenges of divorce.

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Experienced Spousal Support Lawyers Offering Advice on Financial Issues Related to Divorce

Historically, financially dependent spouses were so much at the mercy of the family breadwinner that they couldn’t even think of filing for divorce. With no resources of their own, they couldn’t survive on their own, let alone hire a lawyer. As a result, many spouses were trapped in loveless and/or abusive marriages without any realistic options.

Fortunately, laws were reformed to allow dependent spouses to seek spousal support during the divorce process and even to use spousal support to pay for legal counsel, and an experienced spousal support lawyer is invaluable during this difficult negotiation period.

Kelly Family Law, PLLC manages this issue for clients on either side of the equation. As part of my comprehensive family law practice, I protect my clients’ financial interests as soon as divorce becomes a real possibility for them.

Pennsylvania’s Three Categories of Spousal Support

There are three types of support available to a financially dependent spouse in Pennsylvania:

  • Spousal Support — An order for support the court may grant prior to the filing of a divorce complaint. The court can deny spousal support if the party has engaged in marital misconduct, such as adultery, abuse, or abandonment.
  • Alimony Pendente Lite — Frequently called APL, this is temporary support a court can grant after the filing of the complaint. Marital misconduct is not a factor in the decision to award APL.
  • Alimony — This is an award of support the court can issue when the divorce is final. Petitioners for divorce can include a request for alimony in the complaint.

An experienced family law attorney can help you determine which, if any, spousal support the law would allow and whether such a support order would be appropriate to your specific circumstances.

How to Calculate Spousal Support and APL in Pennsylvania

Courts determine the amount of spousal support and APL based on the net incomes of both parties in accordance with the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines.

The guidelines exist to provide consistency in court decisions so that parties in similar circumstances obtain similar outcomes. The guidelines provide a presumptive amount of support to meet the reasonable needs of a dependent spouse, but the court has discretion to deviate if unusual needs or extraordinary expenses exist. The court can also note whether a party’s income matches his or her earning capacity.

If a supporting spouse seems to be earning less to deliberately reduce a support obligation, the court can impute income to that spouse and increase the support order. The amount given for reasonable needs may not exactly match the usual living expenses of the dependent spouse, especially if there is a pattern of extravagant spending.

Generally, a court will not grant spousal support or APL if the parties are still living together.

However, exceptions to this rule do exist. The order for spousal support  or APL terminates when the divorce is finalized and the court rules on the issue of alimony. Spousal support, APL and alimony are gender neutral in Pennsylvania, so the court can order either spouse to pay the other based solely on financial considerations. As you can see, there is much room for discretion in support decisions.

It is vitally important that you have a knowledgeable and skilled attorney presenting your case to the court, whether you anticipate paying or receiving support.

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