How To Lower Alimony
Many spouses believe that alimony payments are too excessive, and they may want to lower payments significantly. Sometimes, these concerns are truly valid, as spousal support payments have the potential to cripple paying spouses in many situations. This is especially true when you take into account the property division process, child support, and many other financial aspects of divorce. But the question remains: How do you pay less alimony?
If you’re asking yourself this question, you should get in touch with a qualified, experienced family law attorney in Orlando. These legal professionals can help you strive for the best possible results in a highly efficient manner. Although the prospect of paying high sums in spousal support can feel daunting, you can avoid unnecessarily burdensome financial consequences with the help of an attorney. It’s best to book your consultation as soon as possible to get started.
Modifying Alimony
In certain situations, it may be possible to modify your alimony payments (1). However, this is only possible when there has been a “significant change in circumstances.” What this means is that you can’t just randomly ask to pay less alimony out of the blue – there has to be a very good reason for your request.
So what constitutes a “change in circumstances?” There are a few acceptable reasons, including:
- You’re too sick to work
- You’ve too injured to to work
- You have retired
- You’ve lost your job
- You’ve been demoted
- Your business is failing
- You’ve been forced into excessive debt
- You can no longer afford basic necessities like rent and food
As you can see, you can’t simply ask to pay less alimony because you feel like these payments have become too excessive. The court will only listen to these requests if you genuinely have no other choice but to ask for a reduced payment agreement.
Get Lower Alimony from the Beginning
The best approach is to strive for a lower alimony amount from the very beginning. This way, you won’t have to worry about reducing it later. You can accomplish this goal with the help of a qualified, experienced divorce attorney. They can use a range of negotiating tactics to push your alimony down (2), and certain acts of misconduct like adultery may allow you to pay less.
You might also offer certain assets in exchange for a reduced alimony. In certain cases, these asset trades can eliminate the need for alimony altogether. For example, you could provide your spouse with your share of the family home. This might be preferable to continuously paying an equivalent amount in alimony, especially if you don’t want to be reminded of your divorce in later years.
Enlist the Help of a Qualified Attorney Today
If you need help from an Orlando divorce attorney, contact Steve Marsee, P.A. We know that spousal support can be especially stressful for some spouses, and we know that in many cases, payments can be needlessly excessive. With our help, you can strive for the best possible outcome – which often means a lower alimony obligation. Book your consultation today, and we can immediately get started on an effective action plan.
Sources:
flcourts.org/content/download/403078/file/905c.pdf
pon.harvard.edu/daily/batna/10-hardball-tactics-in-negotiation/
