Spousal maintenance or alimony as it is commonly known has had some loopholes for many years. Often times, as long as an ex was awarded alimony and never remarried and cannot afford to live as comfortably as when they were married, the support payments can continue almost indefinitely.
New York State Governor Cuomo has signed a bill into law that attempts to amend this often controversial system so that it may be more temporary and fair. The bill does so by setting up a formula for judges to follow when ruling on divorce cases, rather than giving them ability to rule at their discretion.
Bill A-7645 brings about several changes, primarily lowering income caps to $175,000 from $543,000. Additionally, the major changes appear in the area of "Duration of marriage" Spousal support will now only last an amount of time directly related to the length of the marriage. The shorter you and your ex-spouse were married, the shorter the duration of maintenance. For example, if your marriage lasted five years, you might only need to pay alimony for as little as nine months, depending on the situation. This frees people caught in the perpetual monthly cycle of providing money to someone they might be trying to otherwise forget about and move on.
Also the big change comes to "Enhanced earnings". To reduce the level of payment that must be made to ex-spouses, the bill also calls for the elimination of enhanced earning potential from marital property. This means that increases to your salary due to your advanced education or certifications is more likely to stay in your own pocket.
NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING THE NEW SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE RULES?
Spousal support is not a straightforward system, If you are going through a divorce and need help with spousal maintenance or any other aspect of the process, call (888) 501-3292 to speak with a New York City divorce attorney from Law Offices of Mindin & Mindin, P.C.