A spouse is awarded maintenance if they lack sufficient income to provide for their needs. Various factors are taken into consideration by the court as to whether or not maintenance will be granted, including: The length of the marriage. The age and health of the spouses.
In New York, if a marriage lasts a long time and a spouse is old, ill or unable to support themselves, permanent alimony may be awarded.
Nevertheless, as mentioned above, a spouse could be denied spousal support for various reasons. The courts have the authority to deny a spouse alimony if they don't need financial support or can work. A judge could also deny a spouse spousal support if the payor does not have enough funds to afford it.
Income of the Respective Spouses Typically, the judge will take 20% of the lower-earning spouse's income and subtract that number from 30% of the higher-earning spouse's income. For example, one spouse makes $100,000, and the other makes $20,000. Thirty percent of $100,000 is $30,000, and 20% of $20,000 is $4,000.
In most cases, if a spouse can work and their former spouse cannot afford to provide spousal support, the court can deny alimony. It is pertinent to note that New York is a no-fault divorce state, meaning both parties could cite fault grounds, however, it will not affect whether a spouse is granted spousal maintenance.
Typically, the judge will take 20% of the lower-earning spouse's income and subtract that number from 30% of the higher-earning spouse's income. For example, one spouse makes $100,000, and the other makes $20,000. Thirty percent of $100,000 is $30,000, and 20% of $20,000 is $4,000.
New York Spousal support rules do take into account spouses who are not in the workforce full-time at the time of the divorce. Typically, they are not expected to get a job right away but neither can they refuse to work full-time and simply receive spousal support for years.
Non-durational alimony in New York will end if either spouse dies or the payee spouse remarries. It can also end if there are changes in the quality of life of either the payor or the payee spouse.
In short term marriages the presumptive duration of maintenance is 15 to 30 percent of the length the of the marriage, for medium term divorces it is 30 to 40 percent, and long-term marriages it's 35 to 50 percent.
New York permanent alimony does not have any set duration in which it will end. Most alimony today is durational rather than permanent except in certain specific situations.