Toronto Spousal Support Lawyer

When your marriage ends, you or your spouse could be responsible for providing the other party with financial support after you are separated or divorced. This type of support is typically referred to as spousal maintenance or alimony.

If you need help advocating for an appropriate amount of alimony or find yourself facing a challenging spousal support order as part of a separation or divorce, you might want to seek legal assistance from a local family lawyer. Our Toronto spousal support lawyers are available 24 hours a day to help negotiate fair and reasonable support terms on your behalf.

What Is Spousal Maintenance?

Spousal maintenance is commonly described as the money that one spouse owes the other to help support them maintain their standard of living following a separation or divorce. According to Section 30 of Ontario’s Family Law Act, a separated or divorced spouse is obligated to provide alimony payments to the other spouse based on their need for support. However, a spouse receiving support must become self-supporting where and when it is reasonable.

Either spouse is permitted to seek spousal support under the Family Law Act; however, this type of support is commonly requested by the spouse with a lower income. Factors typically considered by Toronto family judges when determining whether spousal support should be awarded include:

• The financial needs and means of each spouse
• The length of the marriage
• The contributions of each spouse to the marital estate
• Who is responsible for the care of any shared children
• Previous spousal support orders, agreements, or arrangements
• Either spouse’s ability to support themselves financially or become financially independent post-divorce

Calculating the amount of spousal support that you or your spouse could receive is a complex area of provincial family law. Several factors need to be examined and analyzed to determine an accurate and fair amount of alimony in each case. Therefore, it is crucial to have a qualified Toronto spousal maintenance lawyer help you successfully calculate an adequate amount of alimony and argue your case before a judge.

Duration of Spousal Support

The duration of spousal support payments often depends on the case’s circumstances, including the ages of the spouses at the time of separation and the amount of time the spouses lived together. Some cases might only require spousal maintenance to be paid for a limited amount of time. In others, alimony might only change if there is a change in circumstances that requires the court to modify a support order or agreement.

Spousal support orders are typically only changed by a court if there is a significant change in the circumstances for either spouse. One common example of a significant change includes the loss of a job which prevents the supporting spouse from being able to pay the support amount. In such a case, the court could decide to change the alimony order to reflect the supporting spouse’s ability to pay.

You might believe you are stuck paying an unaffordable amount of spousal support. However, alimony can be changed to be fairer to both spouses. It is typically best to consult a knowledgeable Toronto alimony lawyer to help determine your legal options and defend against an unreasonable spousal support amount.

Get in Touch With a Toronto Spousal Support Lawyer Today

A common concern when you are going through the divorce process involves the payment of spousal support. Whether you are the payor or recipient of spousal maintenance, it is important to understand your legal options to help ensure fairness. A seasoned Toronto spousal support lawyer is available at any time to help advise you on the nuances of alimony law and guide you throughout the marriage dissolution process. Schedule your case consultation 24 hours a day.