Divorce can be one of the biggest events of your life. Recovering can take time, and you may be able to get financial help while you put the pieces back together.
Divorce registers an impact score of 73 out of 100 when it comes to life events, with a higher rank meaning it’s more challenging to get back on track. Ending your marriage comes with all sorts of changes, not to mention the financial ones that’ll be coming your way. But you may not need to worry about finding yourself out in the cold if the court orders assistance from your partner.
Softening support
The courts can order maintenance in your favor in several different forms, depending on your circumstances:
- Temporary: The court may grant you aid while the trial is still underway. Your partner may have to help you out if your pending divorce has taken you out of your home, or left you with little to no way to cover daily living expenses.
- Rehabilitative: It could take you some time to get back on your feet after your divorce, and your partner may have to help you along. You could get help while searching for a job or seeking additional workforce training.
- Reimbursement: If you chipped in while your partner advanced their professional life, you could see a check conveying that. Even if you didn’t outright pay the bill for college, you can still get credit for maintaining the household or putting your own career on hold so they could progress.
- Permanent: Long-lasting support may not come with many strings attached and might continue until one of you passes away, or you get remarried. The courts can modify it when financial circumstances change, but it could carry on indefinitely.
A little help can go a long way to getting back on your feet after a divorce, but your situation may warrant more than that. Make sure you know when you qualify for spousal support, and you could soften the financial blow that comes with this major life event.