Seattle Spousal Support Lawyer

Getting a divorce is tough. Throughout the process, there are several issues you will encounter that raise questions about what you should do and what the outcome of your divorce will be. Alimony is one of these.

Whether you are the maintenance-receiving spouse or the paying spouse, an alimony award will affect your economic health and financial future. We have years of experience representing clients in cases involving child custody, child support, divorce, property division, and more.

At Twyford Law Office, our experienced family law attorneys have:

• The necessary skills to build your spousal support case;
• The drive to advocate for your best interests; and
• The knowledge to provide you with the competent legal support you need.

Contact our law office in Seattle, Spokane, or our Bellevue law office today for a free initial case consultation with a Seattle spousal support lawyer. We look forward to discussing any pressing family law matters with you, including spousal support and maintenance.

Let Our Attorneys Help You With Spousal Support and Maintenance

Do not count on your spouse to determine the amount of support you deserve or should payout. Twyford Law Office’s spousal support attorneys will pursue the best financial outcome available for your circumstances, whether you are a payor or a payee.

Our Seattle spousal support attorneys will provide the following on your behalf:

• Accurate calculations of support payments;
• Proper arguments for the recipient’s overall spousal support needs;
• Determinations on how long the support will last;
• Correctly prepared and filed court forms;
• Temporary and long-term spousal support requests; and
• Complete legal representation inside and outside of the courtroom until the spousal support process is complete.

At Twyford Law Office, our skilled legal professionals will communicate directly with your spouse and their spousal support lawyer. We will thoroughly handle each detail of your case, allowing you to start moving forward with your life instead of focusing on the stress of your legal matter.

What Is Spousal Maintenance?

Washington Courts generally categorize spousal maintenance or spousal support according to the length of the marriage:

• Alimony in short-term marriages or those less than five years. For marriages of less than five years, courts generally try to put the parties back in the financial positions before marriage. If both parties are healthy and able to work, the court would be unlikely to award any alimony after a marriage of only a couple of years.
• Alimony in long-term marriages, those over twenty-five years. For marriages of twenty-five years or longer, courts usually try to put the parties in an equal financial position for the remainder of their lives or at least until both parties retire; and
• Alimony in medium-term marriages or five to twenty-five years. For these marriages, judges routinely exercise discretion inconsistently. However, alimony awards are generally one year of alimony for every three or four years of marriage.

A Seattle alimony attorney can help explain how these categories apply to your situation.

Arguing for Spousal Maintenance

A spouse arguing for alimony should take steps that support their request. Consulting with a spousal support lawyer in Seattle can be crucial to building a strong case. They may also consider taking practical steps like speaking with career counselors or obtaining guidance on their chosen career path, including:

• Preparing a resume;
• Applying to appropriate organizations;
• Inquire about the cost and time of further education; and
• Apply to educational programs.

Opposing Spousal Maintenance

A spouse should act prudently and stay within their means and budget if opposing spousal maintenance. Consulting a Seattle alimony lawyer can help ensure that they maintain a reasonable, logical argument against spousal maintenance when presenting their position to the court.

Contact an Experienced Seattle Spousal Support Attorney

If you need advice regarding spousal maintenance, contact Twyford Law Office. We understand how spousal maintenance is a problematic issue that can make a divorce even harder to manage.

At Twyford Law Office, we know how to handle requests for spousal maintenance, whether you are the potential payor or payee. To discuss these issues, contact our office today to speak with a Seattle spousal support lawyer.