Minneapolis Spousal Support Attorney

Spousal Maintenance in Minnesota

Whether you call it alimony, spousal support or spousal maintenance, determining how much one spouse should pay the other after a divorce can be difficult.

At our Minnetonka, Minnesota, law firm of Beckman Steen & Lungstrom, P.A., we help clients obtain or pay reasonable spousal support, if applicable, during or after a divorce or separation. Our attorneys understand the factors the court uses when calculating spousal support. Our goal is to help clients arrive at an amount that is mutually agreeable before the court becomes involved. We recommend collaborative practice or mediation to accomplish this if the parties are unable to agree. There may be cases which demand court involvement and our attorneys are well prepared to proceed to the courtroom.

Factors Considered in Maintenance Awards

We begin by reviewing the factors the court uses when establishing an alimony amount. The factors include:

• The length of the marriage
• Assets, debts and income of the person seeking maintenance and the ability of the other party to pay
• The education, training level and ablity to work of the person requesting maintenance
• The standard of living during the marriage

These and other issues go into determining how much maintenance/alimony is to be paid or received. Our lawyers are creative and are often able to help clients find ways around tough spousal maintenance issues. Divorcing spouses can then develop maintenance proposals that are acceptable to both parties and to the court.

Types of Maintenance

There are times when permanent maintenance is appropriate, and other times when it is not appropriate. It may be possible to obtain a temporary maintenance order (sometimes called rehabilitative maintenance) that helps one spouse get the education and training necessary to obtain suitable employment. This type of maintenance ends or is reduced when the spouse seeking maintenance becomes self-supporting.

Permanent maintenance continues until agreement reached by the parties or further court order, but can be modified if there are significant changes in the circumstances of one of the parties. Our attorneys often advocate for modifications after job loss, illness or other changes that may affect the parties’ needs or ability to pay.

Twin Cities Spousal Maintenance Lawyer

To learn how we can assist you with contested issues around spousal maintenance, call to schedule a free 30 minute consultation with one of our experienced attorneys today.