Skilled In Negotiating Alimony Agreements

In Maryland, the law allows a parent to petition the court to enter a decree for spousal support. This is commonly known as alimony. Spousal support can be sought when one spouse has a higher income than the other or when, during the marriage, one spouse quits his or her job to become the primary caretaker of the children.

Rosalyn W. Otieno has extensive experience when it comes to negotiating and drafting spousal support agreements. She listens carefully to her clients and works to find agreeable solutions between all parties involved.

Fighting For A Secure Financial Future

A spousal support decree helps a disadvantaged spouse maintain a certain standard of living following the end of a marriage. It is important to petition for alimony during your divorce, because once your divorce is finalized, you cannot then make a claim for spousal support. The inadvertent loss of these rights can be financially devastating to the spouse in need of alimony.

Our office will help you prepare an agreement that will take into account all factors that the court will look at when deciding whether to grant a spousal support petition and for how long support should continue. Factors the court might use when making a decision may include:

• The duration of the marriage as well as the age of each party and the circumstances that contributed to the decision to divorce
• The ability of the petitioning parties seeking alimony to be wholly or partly self-supporting
• The time that might be necessary for the party seeking alimony to gain sufficient education or training to find suitable employment and no longer need the same amount of alimony
• The standard of living or lifestyle that the parties established during their marriage
• The contributions, both monetary and nonmonetary, that each party made to the well-being of the family
• The physical and mental condition of each party
• The ability of the party from whom alimony is sought to meet his or her own needs while meeting the needs of the party seeking alimony
• Any prior agreements between the parties

Moreover, the court will also perform a careful analysis of the financial needs and financial resources of each party, which may include looking at all income and assets as well as any monetary award concerning property. The court will also look at the nature and amount of the financial obligations of each party. Finally, the court will analyze the right of each party to receive retirement benefits and certain other factors when deciding an award using the spousal support guidelines.

Our firm takes all of these aspects into account when formulating a spousal support agreement that is either rehabilitative or indefinite. A rehabilitative schedule means payments will last only until the party receiving support no longer needs it or a stopping point has been agreed to, while indefinite means support will end only when one party dies or the receiving party remarries.

Spousal Maintenance

Sometimes, if a parent has sole physical custody during divorce proceedings, the court may grant an award of temporary spousal maintenance. This allows the receiving spouse to meet expenses until the divorce is finalized.

No matter what your spousal support or maintenance needs, we will make sure that your petition considers all factors that will be used by the court and might be brought up by opposing counsel.

Contact our office online or call 301-358-3797.