Alimony and Spousal Support

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After you have filed your divorce case with your city’s Domestic Relations Court, you will have to contact your city’s Court of Common Pleas and petition for spousal support, also known as alimony. A listing of Ohio trial courts organized by county can be found here.  You will then request a copy of the Complaint for Divorce form. You will have to specify whether you need a form for divorce with children and/or spousal support, or a form for divorce with no children and no spousal support. A sample of a Complaint for Divorce form can be viewed here.

 

Whether you are divorcing with children or are just looking for spousal support, there is free legal aid available to help you. Spousal support paperwork can be confusing, but it isn’t impossible to navigate. When petitioning for spousal support, bring the following documents with you: a copy of your driver’s licenses as well as your spouse’s, a list of your expenses, the chosen divorce classification, and a completed affidavit of income.

 

Along with a small filing fee, you will submit your paperwork and complaint to the Domestic Relations Court, and your case will soon be up for review. It is important to understand that only about 10-15% of divorce settlements include spousal support.

 

As you are going through the process of obtaining a divorce, divorce.net can be a helpful website to learn more information about Ohio spousal support. Ohio law requires each married person to support his or her spouse. Spousal support is the allowance of money or property that is not included as a division of marital property. The Ohio law defines it as “the payment or payments to be made to a spouse or former spouse that is both for sustenance and for support of the spouse or former spouse.” Typically, spousal support is granted to the wife; however, Ohio family law allocates spousal support to the husband as well if the situation calls for it.

 

Spousal support will either endure for a pre-determined length of time or be carried out indefinitely. It could also be terminated upon the occurrence of a specified event, such as the re-marriage or death of one of the spouses. The most common judgment for spousal support in Ohio is to terminate the support after the expiration of a pre-determined length of time.

 

The amount of spousal support that will be awarded is left up the court’s discretion. The court may award expenses during the divorce proceedings, such as in a case where one spouse had to pay rent or a mortgage in order to live separate and apart from the other spouse during a separation. This temporary support will also include food, medical expenses, transportation, and in some cases, attorney fees. However, the temporary spousal support award expires after the finalization of the divorce, annulment, or legal separation decree.

 

For more information about spousal support in Ohio, go to divorcesupport.com