Tips for Men Negotiating Alimony During Divorce (Getting Alimony)

There are many tips for men negotiating alimony during a divorce and for any man whose spouse is focused on getting alimony, you need to understand how to protect yourself.  Alimony is also known as spousal support, and it is often granted by courts during divorce proceedings.  Basically, spousal support is money paid to your former spouse in order to allow her to maintain the same standard of living that she had during the marriage when your income was supporting her; as such, your spouse getting alimony is designed to protect her. A divorce alimony can be temporary or permanent, although it is most often temporary.  Alimony calculations are based on several factors including the length of the marriage, the respective incomes of each spouse, and other assets from the marriage.

Tips for Men Negotiating Alimony During Divorce

If you are a man faced with the prospect of negotiating alimony during a divorce, the first tip to know is that you will likely fare better if you can negotiate the alimony beforehand through your lawyer, rather than wait for the court to rule on how much alimony you should be paid.  By using a lawyer to negotiate a fair settlement on your alimony payments, you will be able to possibly get lower alimony and for a shorter period of time than if you allow the courts to decide the matter.

Another tip for men negotiating alimony during a divorce is to prepare reasonable counter offers ahead of time, before entering the negotiations.  Your spouse and her lawyer may present you with an unrealistic figure as their first shot in the alimony war.  You will want to be able to prove your case and come back with a number that is more reasonable and suitable for your life.  Pointing out the assets that you are ceding in the divorce procedure, as well as the costs you will incur by having to live on your own, and offering a breakdown of these numbers is an excellent way to counter and potentially lower your alimony.

Another important tip for men negotiating alimony during a divorce is to try to set a reasonable limit on the time period during which you will be paying alimony.  You may be limited in your alimony payments by state law – many states, for example, set a two-year maximum on the duration of alimony payments.  However, in states where you are not limited by state law, trying to set a reasonable time period during which you will pay beforehand is much better than waiting for the court to award alimony for a longer period, or even permanently.  Again, try to point out reasonable alternatives as you did with your counter offer to the original alimony payment.  Your lawyer can help you prepare these alternatives.

Getting Help

When your spouse is focused on getting alimony, you want to ensure you consult with an experienced family law attorney or divorce attorney who can provide helpful tips for men negotiating alimony during divorce.