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Rehabilitative alimony is spousal support (money) that a judge may decree be given to one spouse (e.g., the wife) by the other spouse (e.g., the husband) after their divorce is finalized. Its purpose is to help the now ex-spouse as he/she becomes self-supporting. Alimony is usually given on a monthly basis.
Usually for the Spouse Who Hasn't Worked Outside the Home
A typical scenario in which rehabilitative alimony is awarded is when a woman has not worked outside the home for a period of years, as her husband supported the household with his income. When they divorce, the court may order her husband to pay rehabilitative alimony to her for a defined period. In other cases, alimony is awarded to the spouse who made significantly less money during the marriage.
Rehabilitative Alimony Is Temporary
The length of the alimony period may be defined a number of ways, for example:
A Hearing to Review the Alimony Situation
In many cases, at the same time that the judge awards rehabilitative alimony, he or she also sets a date in the future for reviewing the alimony situation. At this hearing, the judge will consider whether the alimony should be discontinued or extended, or revised in some other way.
Some ex-spouses who are obliged by their divorce to seek employment are reluctant to take action. A divorce judge will consider evidence that an ex-spouse is procrastinating in his or her job search. Deliberate non-action may be a way for an ex-spouse to extract some form of revenge, but a judge will not look favorably on this.
Learn More about Rehabilitative Alimony
If you are considering getting a divorce and you need further information about your specific circumstances, contact us to schedule a private, no-commitment consultation with a competent and experienced divorce attorney in your area. It's in your best interests to find out all that you can about your legal future.