Articles Posted in Support

Couples who live together without the benefit of marriage cannot benefit from the protections of divorce and alimony laws should their relationship end. Instead, these couples can resolve their financial issues through a contractual arrangement referred to as “palimony.” (1) There are differences, however, between alimony and palimony that, if you are not aware of, could affect your chances of collecting.

The obvious difference between the two is that alimony is granted to married partners and palimony to partners who never married but lived in a marriage-like relationship. Other differences may not be so obvious.(1)

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The State Assembly currently is considering legislation to end permanent alimony and clarify the guidelines under which other forms of alimony are awarded. (1)

In New Jersey, there are four main variations of alimony that can be awarded upon the end of a marriage or civil union: limited duration alimony, rehabilitative alimony, reimbursement alimony, and permanent alimony. (1)

Limited duration alimony is the most common. Also known as term alimony, this is payable only for a specified time and is usually intended to give the receiving spouse enough time to become financially self-sufficient. Rehabilitative alimony is also payable for a specified time, usually long enough for a dependent partner to gain the training and/or education needed to find employment. Reimbursement alimony is awarded when one partner makes financial sacrifices to enable the other partner to further his or her education in an effort to improve earnings potential. And finally, permanent alimony is usually awarded in the dissolution of long-term marriages or unions, particularly when the earnings potentials of the partners are drastically unequal due to one spouse sacrificing education and/or career goals in order to take care of the family. New Jersey also has a temporary, or “pendent lite” alimony, which is awarded to help take care of the living expenses of an unemployed or low-earning spouse during divorce proceedings. (2)

dollars (Photo credit: Tddy)

Alimony, otherwise known as spousal support, is intended to protect the less financially stable partner once a marriage ends. However, when circumstances change, this protective order for one partner turns into a hardship for the other and both parties lose. It is the need to address these changing circumstances that have some calling for reform of the State’s alimony laws.

A recent Hunterdon County case illustrates the negative effect New Jersey’s current alimony laws can have on a family. Following his 2011 divorce, John Waldorf was ordered to pay both spousal and child support. The problem was that the spousal support payments alone exceeded his average annual take home pay. Waldorf was jailed for failure to meet his alimony obligations. As a result his ex-wife, who is disabled, received no financial support. To make matters even worse, Waldorf lost his job while in jail, further hindering his ability to meet his court-ordered obligations. (1)

Senior leaders visit Sandy response efforts in NJ and NY (Photo credit: The National Guard)

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many lives throughout the State were put on hold. Schools were closed; work was missed; bank fees were waived; homes were destroyed; and even property tax deadlines were extended. Some obligations, however, can’t be easily put off no matter what the hardship. One of those is child support.

New Jersey law considers child support an ongoing obligation of both parents. In cases of divorce or of children born outside of marriage, the custodial parent’s share of the support is usually considered satisfied by day-to-day expenditures related to the care of the child. The non-custodial parent satisfies his or her obligations through a child support order. (1)

When a couple with children divorces in New Jersey, child support payments are determined with the help of guidelines established by court rule. (1) Because our lives are not stagnant, circumstances can arise that turn what was once considered a fair payment into a hardship. Usually these circumstances involve a significant change in income of one or both parents. However, even a child going off to college can trigger the need to petition the court for adjustment of support payments. If, after reading the following, you need the assistance of a Hunterdon County lawyer regarding child support, the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon can help.

New Jersey’s guidelines for determining child support take into consideration a number of factors, first of which is the net income of both parents. Wages, tips, overtime, unemployment benefits and even lottery winnings are all considered part of income; welfare or disability payments, however, are not. Taxes and mandatory deductions are deducted from the income total (although voluntary deductions, such as retirement or savings plans, are added back in) in order to arrive at net income. The combined “net” income of both parents determines the family income. The family income divided by the number of children determines the basic child support award. This award can be divided between the parents depending on the contribution of each to the family’s total income. (2)

The guidelines are intended to make sure there is enough money available to the custodial parent to care for the child. They are not intended to make either parent poor. If either parent experiences a significant change in income, a petition to the court to adjust the child support payments can be warranted. In these cases, the courts can return to the guidelines to reconfigure a fair support order. There are other circumstances, however, where the State Appellate Division recently advised courts to ignore the guidelines — specifically when it involves a child’s enrollment in college. (3)

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Massachusetts recently updated its alimony laws to reflect our changing times. (1) Will New Jersey soon follow the example? If after reading the following you need assistance with an alimony issue, particularly in Hunterdon County, contact the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon.

Approval was recently given by the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee to appoint a commission to review the State’s alimony laws. The committee would consist of 11 members and would have 9 months to complete a study of the State’s current alimony laws, on their own and as compared with the laws of other states, and make recommendations for changes to the Legislature and governor. (2)

Daily headlines are filled with stories of layoffs and dismal unemployment rates as our economy continues to flounder. People are finding it harder to meet their financial obligations as they face pay cuts or worse – loss of wages. Recognizing our current difficult financial environment, the New Jersey State Senate recently passed a bill that could ease child support obligations for the newly unemployed. (1) If, after reading the following, you need assistance with child support issues, particularly in Hunterdon County, contact the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon, N.J.

The State Senate on February 16 unanimously approved a bill that would enable people who have experienced a significant change in employment to petition the court for a reduction in their alimony and child support obligations. A “significant change” has been defined as having their wages reduced significantly or being unemployed for more than six months. (1)

New Jersey family courts have long had the authority to reduce support payments in the event of changed financial circumstances under common law. The new bill, however, makes this authority official. (2)

At least one private New Jersey citizens group is working toward making sure the words “till death do us part” refers to marriage and not alimony payments. The group, New Jersey Alimony Reform, is hoping State lawmakers can be persuaded to follow the example set by Massachusetts earlier this year and reform New Jersey’s alimony laws. (1)

Laws affecting the award and calculations of alimony payments vary from state to state. (2) If you have questions regarding New Jersey’s current alimony laws, particularly in Hunterdon County, contact the divorce lawyers at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon, NJ.

This past fall, Massachusetts’ governor signed into law reforms that would eliminate lifetime alimony. Now, New Jersey and Florida are considering similar changes. (1)

When a couple comes to an agreement to terminate their marriage, getting a court to make it official usually is not an issue. Resolving the associated aspects of divorce is where it can get complicated. If you are seeking a divorce in Hunterdon County, the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm can assist you.

Divorce is an emotionally trying process for all involved. Once a couple has come to terms that their relationship is over, they still must deal with the often heated issues related to the dissolution of their marriage — child custody and support, fair and equitable distribution of assets and, perhaps the most contentious of all, alimony.

Alimony is a payment of support from one spouse to another. In New Jersey married couples are responsible for supporting each other. This holds true even after the marriage ends. Alimony is designed to ensure that both spouses can enjoy a lifestyle reasonably similar to the one they had while married. (1)

New Jersey, like most other states, takes the issue of child support seriously. There are processes in place to aid those seeking to collect child support and stiff penalties for those who fail to make their payments. If, after reading the following, you need a Hunterdon County lawyer to assist you with child support issues, contact The Rotolo Law Firm, located in Lebanon, NJ.

Ensuring the payment of child support is primarily the responsibility of individual states. The federal government, however, does provide financial support to state agencies entrusted with this job. In addition, legislation is in place prohibiting someone from using a bankruptcy filing to avoid child support obligations, and it is a federal crime to willfully avoid such payments by moving to another state. Still it is the state’s responsibility to enforce court orders, and even federal agencies are bound to comply with state-ordered child support payments. (1)

States have various means by which they can enforce payment of child support, including garnishment of wages or unemployment payments and liens on or the seizure and sale of property. Even Social Security payments, which are exempt from most garnishments, can be attached for child support payments. (2) While the Social Security Administration (SSA) is bound to comply with state-ordered child support payments, it is immune from suits for damages resulting from its failure to follow such orders. (3)