In Virginia, when you separate from your spouse, you may experience severe financial difficulty. Running two households can often be more difficult than people expect. For that reason, if you are separated you may be entitled to an award of spousal support (a.k.a. “alimony”). The right to receive support does not depend on gender—either spouse may petition the Court and ask for an award of spousal support. The family law attorneys at BoykoNapier can assist you in requesting spousal support, or defending against a support request.
Richmond Spousal Support Attorneys:
Like child support, Virginia Courts often utilize spousal support guidelines to determine an appropriate award. The spousal support guidelines are primarily based on percentages of gross income, but may or not be presumptive in Court, depending on what stage of litigation you are in.
Generally speaking, Virginia Judges often look at two broad issues when determining an appropriate spousal support award: the need for support demonstrated by the petitioning spouse, and the ability of the other spouse to pay the award. Read all of the Virginia Statutory factors the Court will consider here: Va. Code Section 20-107.1. Please see our blog post for additional information: “Difficulties in Divorce: Spousal Support Litigation in Virginia."
If you would like to discuss spousal support issues, please contact a family law attorney at BoykoNapier by phone at (804) 658-3418 or by email.
If you are interested in reading more about operating two separate households, read our blog post: “Difficulties in Divorce: The Tale of Two Households."
