ALAN JOHN CLARK, PC

ALIMONY / SPOUSAL SUPPORT  Spousal support can transform a mutually cooperative divorce into a battle over how much money one should pay and how much the other should receive. At The Law Offices of Alan John Clark, PC in Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County, NY, we take your needs and wants into account and strive to get what you deserve. Whether you are paying or receiving alimony, you are entitled to maintain the lifestyle you enjoyed while married. Do not try to negotiate spousal support on your own. You need a divorce attorney looking out for your best interests and protecting your rights. How We Can Help Our goal is to secure for our clients the fairest, most reasonable alimony agreement possible. We can help you determine what is right for your individual situation and are equipped to represent you in cases involving: Temporary Alimony There are occasions when a divorce may not yet be finalized or still on-going, but one spouse requires certain financial amounts in order to maintain their lifestyle during these proceedings. Known as temporary alimony, these payments allow one member of the couple to keep their current lifestyle, namely paying expenses such as living costs or basic needs, until the marriage is official dissolved. These expenses are specifically ordered and set by the court, and are used for only the time of the divorce’s legal procedures. How Temporary Alimony Works Temporary alimony is a limited fund only created in order to preserve certain expenses that will be properly divided with the finality of the divorce. Until then, one spouse may clearly share the burden for these costs, and be ordered therefore to provide financial assistance to the other spouse. In particular, the following are important points concerning temporary alimony:

• at maximum, lasts for the duration of the divorce
• otherwise, lasts for a very specific amount of time
• payment and time may not be changed unless there is a change in
• circumstances
• meant to cover marital expenses while they are being divided

Permanent Alimony Alimony can be confusing for spouses to understand without the proper context, as the law which created alimony also stated that a wife gave up all property to her husband upon marriage, it only seemed fair that the husband should offer back a certain sum to support an otherwise penniless spouse as a continuation of the financial side of marriage. In modern American society, permanent alimony does not seem to work out so clearly. With multiple-income households and no law to require spouses to completely surrender their property to each other, permanent alimony can seem much less straightforward. If you are considering divorce and have questions about how spousal support may be figured or how it may affect the proceedings, contact the Alan John Clark, PA. Permanent alimony works in the following ways:

• the person granted alimony may lose payments if they remarry
• the person paying alimony may continue paying even after death
• maintains the spouse’s pre-divorce lifestyle
• paid at regular rates and intervals
• failure to pay can incur strict legal penalties
• may be modified

Alimony is rarely granted to couples who have not established their lifestyle, meaning that spouses who have any question regarding these matters should speak to an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Striving to Make Your Financial Future More Secure At the law office of Alan John Clark, PC we focus on helping our clients find that all-important middle ground. We fight for the best outcome on your behalf, and we are dedicated to your long-term goals. Emergencies Do Not Happen Between Nine to Five, Representation When You Need It Call (201) 906-5160  To schedule an appointment with an experienced lawyer regarding spousal support agreements or modifications, please call the law office of Alan John Clark, PC.