Are alimony payments possible when a short marriage ends?

On behalf of Barli & Associates LLC posted in blog on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

Often when people marry, they may have stars in their eyes, but when reality sets in, the starlight fades, and that may not take long.

Marital problems may also develop after a few years, some of them serious, and divorce may be the only logical solution, but it may put you in a financial bind. When a short marriage ends, can you still get alimony?

The likelihood of divorce

Two professors from Emory University conducted a study of married couples to find out why some marriages last longer than others. Their findings showed that mutual trust, support and love trumped the materialistic side of marriage. If those elements have gone missing in your union, you may feel divorce is the only option.

Alimony is not forever

One of your chief concerns is whether you will be eligible for alimony. There used to be a New Jersey law that allowed for lifetime support payments. However, a new law signed by Governor Christie in 2014 did away with permanent alimony. In many cases now, the payments made by ex-spouses will either end or be considered for modification when the payor reaches the age of 67. Alimony payments will also be available to spouses emerging from short marriages like yours, but the length of time those payments continue cannot be longer than the duration of the union. For example, if your marriage lasted five years, you can only expect five years of alimony payments.

How alimony payments can change

Keep in mind that the alimony agreement that becomes part of your divorce settlement could change. The new law permits the payor to request a decrease in the payments he is making if he loses his job and becomes unemployed for a period of three months. You can rely on your attorney to answer any questions you have about changes in New Jersey alimony laws and to help you navigate the divorce process in as confident a manner as possible.