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Alimony: Causal Support In Georgia Divorce

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Alimony, or spousal support, can be a part of a Georgia divorce under certain circumstances. Courts most often award alimony in a divorce involving a long-term marriage, or one that has lasted for ten years or more. This is particularly the case if one spouse has a much higher income than the other or if one spouse stayed home to care for the couple’s children while the other spouse worked. However, if a spouse committed adultery, he or she may forfeit the ability to request spousal support.

Spousal support can be temporary or permanent, depending on the situation. Temporary alimony provides a spouse with financial support while the divorce proceedings are pending before the court. Permanent alimony is paid by one spouse after the divorce proceedings have ended. However, the term “permanent” is not exactly accurate in terms of alimony. Certain conditions can result in the court terminating a spouse’s alimony payments. For instance, if the spouse who receives the alimony becomes gainfully employed, inherits a large amount of money, or remarries, alimony payments may no longer be necessary. Therefore, the length of time that a spouse receives “permanent” alimony may vary from one case to the next. An individual who pays alimony may be eligible to go back to court and request a modification of the alimony award if circumstances in either party’s life change dramatically. …show more content…

However, a spouse can pay alimony through an income deduction order, especially if he or she has not been faithful about making payments as ordered in the past. This order requires an employer to directly deduct the payments from the spouse’s paycheck. However, no matter how much alimony the spouse owes, Georgia law only permits 50% of the spouse’s net income to be garnished to pay

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