What is Spousal Support and Alimony?

Spousal support and alimony are important factors in divorce cases. This is due to both parties having financial needs. Financial support takes two forms: temporary spousal support and alimony. Temporary spousal support occurs during the divorce proceedings. The payments stop when the divorce is over. Alimony payments, if any, are payments from one ex-spouse to the other after the divorce concludes.

In Nevada there are no laws or strict formulas for either support form. This means the family court judge has a wide range of options.

Temporary Spousal Support

Temporary spousal support considerations occur during the early stages of the divorce case. It can be agreed upon by the divorce lawyers representing both parties, or decided by a family court judge. Temporary spousal support ensures that both parties know what the financials will be during the divorce matter. Like its name implies, temporary spousal support only occurs during the divorce proceedings. It stops at the commencement of the divorce case.

Alimony

Alimony payments occur, if at all, when the divorce case concludes. If the parties cannot agree, the family court judge has a wide range of options when it comes to awarding alimony or not. However, alimony can be awarded in long-term marriages wherein one spouse has financially supported the other for most or all of the marriage.

Financial Disclosure Form

During all divorce cases, both parties disclose their financial conditions on a Financial Disclosure Form (FDF). There are two different FDFs in Nevada divorce cases: General and Detailed. The parties use the detailed form when:

• Either party’s individual gross income, or the combined gross income of the parties is more than $250,000 per year; or
• Either party is self-employed or the owner, partner, managing or majority shareholder / member of a business; or
• The combined gross value of the assets owned by either party individually, or in combination, is more than $1,000,000.

The parties use the general form if the above factors do not apply. Las Vegas divorce attorney Jennifer V. Abrams played a leading role in re-writing the FDFs used in every Nevada divorce case. She has been honored by The Supreme Court of Nevada for her efforts. As such, we provide a free download of both FDFs for those in need of itemizing their Las Vegas divorce finances.

Factors for Spousal Support and Alimony

The Nevada family court judges assess a variety of issues when considering whether or not to make an alimony award. These issues include:

• The length of the marriage
• The relative incomes of both parties
• The future earnings potential of the parties
• The ages of the parties
• The educational levels of the parties
• The amount, if any, that one spouse contributed to the other’s career
• The financial condition of each spouse after divorce

Our Las Vegas divorce attorneys know the history of alimony award decisions for the Clark County family court judges. This knowledge is critical when evaluating your alimony situation. It’s also important in deciding if a peremptory challenge is warranted.

These Financial Issues Are Complex

There are countless factors when it comes to these important financial considerations. It is not possible to address every possibility here. Our Las Vegas alimony attorneys have decades of experience representing both husbands and wives in temporary spousal support and alimony.We serve clients in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City. Out-of-state and international clients whose spouse or ex-spouse resides in Clark County Nevada are also welcome. We also provide phone consultations as a courtesy at no charge. Please call our office at 702-222-4021 if you need a skilled divorce attorney with the right know-how for significant financial matters.