How can I increase my alimony payments?

If you are going through a divorce or have recently become divorced, you may be in the process of negotiating, or you may already be subject to alimony payments. Alimony, otherwise known as spousal support, tends to be awarded to the divorcing spouse who earns a lower income. This is done to try and ensure that neither spouse has to lower their standard of living due to divorce.

If you are unhappy with your projected or current alimony payments, you must understand how you can take action to maximize the payments that you are entitled to.

Show how your lifestyle will change

You should be able to give evidence of the standard of living you currently enjoy. Having a higher amount of assets usually means having a higher amount of outgoings. For example, having a large house costs more to maintain than a small apartment. If you keep the family home but no longer have your ex-spouse’s financial support, it is clear to see that you will no longer be able to enjoy the same standard of living without spousal support. Additionally, this may affect the well-being of the children you have.

If you want to modify the current alimony order, show a change of circumstances

If you are already receiving alimony but you think that you deserve more, you should be able to show that a change of circumstances has occurred. If you know that your spouse now earns more, or if your outgoings have increased, you may have sufficient grounds to do this.

If you want to ensure that you can enjoy the same standard of living that you enjoyed during your marriage, it is important that you understand the law and that you take action to get the alimony payments that you deserve.