Spousal Support

MTR Family Law, PLLC has helped clients throughout the Nashville area pursue fair resolutions for alimony. Our spousal support attorneys represent spouses seeking or facing alimony payments throughout Middle Tennessee. We can listen to the details of your situation and discuss your options.

More commonly known as alimony, spousal support provides financial support after a divorce to the spouse who earns less or no income at all. An alimony agreement is sometimes reached between the divorced couple with the help of a spousal support lawyer; otherwise, a court decision will dictate the amount and length of payments.

If the court must decide alimony, many matters will be considered. Under certain circumstances, alimony may not be awarded at all. To determine whether your divorce calls for spousal support, the court may consider:

• The length of your marriage
• Your income and the income of your spouse
• Age and physical health, especially as pertaining to employability
• The quality of life you and your spouse enjoyed while married
• Current employment and skills

After a divorce, if you were previously responsible for taking care of children while your significant other worked, you may have lost certain job skills and experience. In such a case, spousal support may be necessary to meet your living costs as you gain necessary job training and secure employment. Alimony is not the same thing as child support.

Different Types of Alimony in Tennessee

Under Tennessee law, alimony is divided into four types:

• Periodic Alimony – Also known as permanent alimony, this is commonly awarded in marriages where there is only one spouse who is the breadwinner and the other requires financial support to maintain an accustomed lifestyle.
• Rehabilitative Alimony – This is designed to support a financially dependent former spouse who has decided to enroll in a training or education program to increase his/her earning potential.
• Transitional Alimony – This is awarded to a spouse who may have the skills to be employable yet the divorce had impacted him/her financially. The finances help bridge the gap until the spouse can recover.
• Lump Sum Alimony – The spouse will receive a single payment to equalize any property division.

In determining the type, amount, and length of an alimony award, a court may consider a variety of factors. Alimony must be agreed to, or awarded, at the time of a divorce and may not be sought after the fact.

If you are in the process of getting divorced or have recently become divorced, the Nashville spousal support attorneys at MTR Family Law, PLLC will make sure you will get the financial support you need.

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