Alimony

Also known as spousal support, alimony is when one spouse provides the other spouse with a portion of his or her income after they are divorced. In Georgia, there is no state law that determines the amount of alimony that a person can receive; therefore, a judge determines the amount of alimony that you will pay or receive from your spouse. As with the division of marital assets, spouses who come to an alimony agreement before appearing in court can save themselves stress and legal fees.

In cases where spouses are unable to come to an alimony agreement, a judge will determine alimony based on certain factors and considerations, including a person’s age, behavior, overall health, ability to support themselves after the divorce and the extent to which they relied on their spouse for financial support during the marriage. Once the Court determines alimony, it is important for the payer to remember to make alimony payments in the form of a check, cash, a money order or a bank deposit. Giving objects of monetary value does not count toward alimony.

For those who have to pay it, alimony is often considered to be drudgery for two reasons: the money is paid to an ex-spouse and alimony payments only cease when the recipient dies. Yet, there are aspects of paying alimony that are financially beneficial, such as the payer’s right to write off alimony payments as a tax deduction. The recipient also benefits from alimony by having it included as taxable income.