SPOUSAL SUPPORT FOR HIGH INCOME EARNERS

Spousal support is a topic that may become important to Connecticut residents if they choose to end their marriages. It refers to the payment of money from one former partner to the other after their legal relationship ends. At its most basic level, spousal support may be necessary if one partner earns more income than the other and a financial disparity would exist between them after the completion of their divorce.

The most familiar structure that spousal support may adopt after a divorce is the periodic payment. Periodic payments are made at regular intervals or may even be scheduled for specific dates. A person who pays spousal support may be required to provide their ex with a payment on the same date every month for a certain duration of time.

Spousal support can also be paid as a lump sum, in which case the recipient of the spousal support receives a single payment in satisfaction of the spousal support obligation. How a court determines whether spousal support should be paid and how it should be structured will depend on the circumstances of the individuals seeking to divorce.

As mentioned, spousal support is used to balance financial inequities between two parties. If, however, both of the partners to an ending marriage are high income earners, spousal support may not be necessary. That is because each of the individuals may be able to provide for their own needs without the help of the other when they are no longer in a marital union.

It is not possible to predict how an individual spousal support case will resolve, and readers who have questions about spousal support should talk to their divorce and family law attorneys. This post does not provide any legal advice and is offered as general information only.