Alimony 101

If you are in the process of filing for divorce or currently working out a divorce agreement, you will need to familiarize yourself with alimony and spousal support. Both alimony and spousal support are regular payments that a spouse makes to provide their ex-spouse with support during or after a divorce proceeding. The amount varies based off the receiving spouse’s needs as well as the earning potential of both spouses.

schedule a free consultation

Factors for Determining Alimony in Texas

When it comes to determining alimony payments, the courts in Texas will evaluate the following factors:

Each spouse's ability to provide for the receiving spouse's reasonable needs
Education and employment skills of both spouses, as well as the time necessary to acquire education or training to enable the supported spouse to earn enough income to become financially independent
Duration of the marriage
Age, employment history, earning ability, and physical and emotional condition of the receiving spouse
Whether either spouse wasted or disposed of any community property
Whether either spouse contributed to the other's education, training, or increased earning potential during the marriage
Any property both spouses brought to the marriage
Any contributions of a spouse as a homemaker
Marital misconduct, including adultery and cruel treatment, by either spouse during the marriage
History or pattern of domestic violence

Unlike many other states, Texas law limits the amount of alimony a court can order. Maintenance awards may not be more than $5,000 per month or more than 20% of the spouse's average monthly gross income (whichever is less).

How Our Law Firm Can Help

If you are looking to get divorced or separated, alimony and spousal support are two aspects of the process you will need to determine. Our firm can help advocate for your best interests whether you are the receiving or paying spouse. If you require assistance determining if you qualify for alimony, need to pay alimony, or would like to modify your alimony payments, contact our firm. We offer complimentary initial consultations to help you get started.

Call us at (281) 810-9760 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Spousal Support, Spousal Maintenance, and Alimony in Spring and Houston Texas and when is it available?

This article addresses Spousal Support, Spousal Maintenance, and Alimony in Texas and when it is available.
Enforcing an award of spousal maintenance in a Texas family law case

Spousal maintenance, also known as alimony, is treated similarly to child support in Texas.
Know How to Determine Whether Alimony will be Owed and for How Long, When Preparing for Your Texas Divorce

Unless you and your spouse have resolved all issues in a divorce, your divorce will more than likely be considered "contested".
How can spousal maintenance be terminated or modified in Texas?

If you are a person who is obligated to pay your ex-spouse a certain amount of spousal maintenance for a certain amount of years, today’s blog post may be of interest to you.
Why is alimony no longer deductible?

When Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of late 2017, the reforms that were made in the tax code as it relates to alimony have changed how people going through divorce approach this topic.
How is alimony taxed?

When you hear the word “alimony” I’m willing to bet that you know, generally speaking, what that word means.
Alimony E-Book

Family Law Cases Can Be Confusing. Let Our Learning Resources Guide You.
An attorney can help get you alimony from your military spouse

If you are a person facing divorce in Texas and have an uncertain economic and personal financial future due to the coronavirus or for any other reason, then today's blog post from the Law Office of Bryan Fagan Is right up your alley.
What qualifies as alimony in Texas?

In a Texas divorce sometimes one spouse requires financial assistance from their soon-to-be ex-spouse.
How is alimony decided?

Besides issues relating to your children, financial questions are probably the most frequently asked of family law attorneys.
Can you get alimony in Texas when your common law marriage ends?

The term “alimony” is used quite a bit in our culture to generally refer to payments made from one ex-spouse to the other after a divorce is finalized.
Can alimony be modified?

One of the aspects of a divorce that can be positive, on some level, is the degree of closure that you can experience at the end of a case.
Alimony Factors in Texas

If the most common question that we receive at our office regarding spousal maintenance and contractual alimony is regarding how long a spouse can receive this type of support after a divorce, the second most common question is how much money the person can get.
Types of alimony in Texas

One of the more interesting topics within Texas family law is that of post-divorce spousal support.
Temporary Spousal Support, Alimony and Contractual Maintenance in Texas divorce cases

For many years, Texas was the only state in the United States that did not allow courts to order one spouse to pay the other spouse money for their support.