New Jersey Alimony Lawyers

NJ Family Lawyers Negotiate Alimony Agreements

Alimony in New Jersey can have a long-term effect on your quality of life after your divorce. The lawyers at Graziano & Flynn have over 100+ years of combined experience negotiating alimony in NJ. Discussing future finances and how they change your lifestyle can be overwhelming, especially when divorce is emotional to begin with.

When your financial future is at risk, whether you want to receive spousal support or avoid paying it, you need an experienced alimony lawyer in your corner. Contact the New Jersey alimony attorneys at Graziano & Flynn to ensure your financial security. We’ll assess your case, explain your rights, and represent your interests during alimony negotiations.

New Jersey Alimony Laws

Alimony law in New Jersey underwent numerous changes in 2014. There are now five types of alimony that NJ courts may award, and each spouse’s financial circumstances and the marriage’s length determine what kind you’ll receive. Reaching financial stability may take time and assistance from your spouse, but it shouldn’t be unaffordable or unreasonable.

Below is an explanation of the different kinds of alimony in New Jersey:

• Pendente lite alimony also known as temporary alimony, can be awarded by a judge during the divorce process to help one spouse get on their feet financially. These payments stop once the divorce is final.

• Open durational alimony replaced permanent alimony in the fall of 2014. Unless specific circumstances are involved, under the current law, the court only orders this type of alimony if your marriage lasted 20 years or more. There is no set end date for this form of alimony, but it often ends when the paying spouse reaches retirement.

• Limited duration alimony provides for support to be paid to one spouse for a set amount of time.

• Rehabilitative alimony provides short-term assistance while one spouse is in school or has formal job training. It includes a realistic timeframe to complete studies and gain employment.

• Reimbursement alimony considers the fact that, in some cases, one spouse had to sacrifice the advancement of their own career so the other spouse could advance theirs.

Contact the offices of Graziano & Flynn to find out which alimony agreement is in your best interests.

Changing a Spousal Support Order in New Jersey

Our New Jersey alimony lawyers have extensive experience managing spousal support order modifications. Spousal support can be changed when a significant shift in the circumstances of either party occurs.

Those circumstantial changes can include an involuntary change in profession, cohabitating with a partner, a job promotion, or disability. Events such as being laid off by an employer for a brief period may or may not not be enough to trigger a change in alimony payments.

How Do NJ Family Courts Calculate Alimony Payments?

Various factors go into calculating alimony payments in New Jersey. Courts use these factors to determine whether alimony should be paid at all, how much should be paid, and how long payments should last. Unlike with child support, there is no specific formula for calulating alimony payments, which is why you need an experienced family law attorney. Some of the criteria NJ family courts use when determining spousal support include:

• Ability to pay alimony and financial need
• Age, physical health, and emotional health of the parties
• Length of the marriage
• Standard of living established during the marriage
• Earning capability, education level, and employment opportunities of the parties
• Length of absence from the job market when applicable
• Time and expense needed to complete education or training necessary to return to the job market
• The amount of property each spouse receives in the property settlement

Paying or Collecting Alimony in New Jersey

Alimony payments in NJ are typically paid through cash, check, Venmo, or ACH. In most cases, they are paid on a monthly or weekly basis for however long the spousal support agreement requires. If a party does not pay alimony as ordered, an enforcement action can be filed and judges may order the non-paying spouse to pay a lump sum in cash or in a property transfer separate from the process of dividing marital property.