Our Vancouver spousal support lawyers give clear and understandable advice about how spousal support will apply to your post separation life.
Whether you are being asked to pay spousal support (previously called alimony), or whether you need it to make ends meet after separation, there are few other issues that are more uncertain, challenging and stressful.
In many circumstances, there will be monthly payments to or from your separated spouse for an uncertain period of time. There is often no conclusive answer to when these payments will end. Many factors affect the period of time for which spousal support continues.
Vancouver Spousal Support Lawyers
Some of these factors include the length of the relationship, the differential between your incomes, the health and future earning ability of your former spouse, and many others.
Further, the amount is not easily determined. Each party’s income tax return is a good starting point to determine the resources available to set a figure, but the courts will not hesitate to look at all the circumstances to see whether the amount reported on a tax return is the fairest starting point for setting a monthly payment between former spouses.
If you or your partner derive your income from a business, you will enjoy the ability to keep your taxable income low and save taxes, but it is common for a different – and higher – “income” to apply for the purposes of determining support. This exercise is different in every case and it takes the skill and experience of a family lawyer, in consultation with other experts, to advise you about your monthly entitlement or obligation.
The lawyers at Onyx Law Group have extensive experience in working with the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines. They will give you clear and understandable advice about how spousal support will apply to your post separation life.