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Alimony are payments by one spouse (or in a domestic partnership in DC by one partner) to the other for their support.

In Maryland and DC, alimony is not guaranteed. A court may award alimony or the parties may agree to the payment of alimony. Unlike child support, there are no guidelines that the court is required to consult to determine whether to award alimony, how much to award, or for what period of time. In order to determine alimony, the court looks at and weighs numerous factors.

Types of Alimony:

  • Pendente lite alimony is temporary support until a final trial, to allow a spouse to maintain his or her status quo until a final determination is made.
  • Rehabilitative or term alimony is for a period of time to allow an economically dependent spouse time to get on his or her feet.
  • Indefinite alimony does not have a set end date.

Lerch Early divorce attorneys help people reach, modify, and enforce alimony agreements and court orders regarding alimony.

Success Stories

Gaining Physical Custody in Relocation Case

Challenge

The mother of our client’s children planned to move away for a new job opportunity, taking the children with her. She had been the primary parent, so our client wished to gain sole physical custody of the children, allowing them to remain in the DC area.

Strategy

Lerch Early argued before the court that the children would be best served to stay in this area with their father. We worked with key experts to demonstrate that a move to the new location would be detrimental to the children’s interests.

Result

The judge awarded sole physical custody to our client, allowing the children to remain in the environment where they attended school and had friends.

Insights