When divorcing spouses cannot agree on certain aspects, they may avoid expensive litigation in court and instead pursue a collaborative divorce. This process involves the spouses agreeing to negotiate under the supervision and guidance of a neutral third party. Each spouse has a dependable collaborative divorce attorney in Kingman, AZ for representation.
Spousal Maintenance
One financial issue the two may disagree on is whether the primary income earner should pay the other person alimony, which the Arizona legal system calls spousal maintenance. Even if they agree that maintenance should be paid, they might disagree on the monthly amount or how long this will continue.
Recent Legal Developments
Arizona passed a new statute in 2023 to make the spousal maintenance legal guidelines more consistent and specific. One purpose is to give the recipient a certain time frame to become self-sufficient. Another is to establish consistent guidelines among couples in similar circumstances.
Income Percentage Considerations
The state considers spousal maintenance to be acceptable at any amount less than 50% of the payer’s income before the divorce. However, family court judges typically view reasonable payments to be 15% to 30% of that income.
Possibilities
Collaborative divorce attorneys in Kingman, AZ help their clients determine how the recipient can begin earning a living and how long that is likely to take. This person might need to complete some coursework to master a skill or find an unskilled job that still pays well. In all cases, if the recipient remarries, spousal maintenance is terminated.
