Alimony is one component of a divorce settlement. It is important to negotiate your alimony settlement, especially if your former spouse was the primary breadwinner in your family. Alimony is meant to serve as an additional way to help you make ends meet after your marriage ends. There are some things you need to keep in mind as you negotiate your alimony settlement to ensure it is fair and equitable. Here is what you need to know:
Know What Factors Are Considered
As you go through the alimony negotiation process, you should know what the courts will be looking at to determine the final settlement. The judge will evaluate the income of both spouses to see if alimony is necessary for one spouse. You can suggest a figure that you would like to receive or pay, depending on your circumstances in the divorce. However, keep the figure reasonable as you negotiate.
Try to Be Cooperative
Going through a divorce is tough, but you have to remain cordial and cooperative as you finalize your settlement. This includes negotiations regarding alimony. Try not to be angry, argumentative, or hostile as you go through this process. This will only frustrate everyone, but also could impact the court's decision.
Do Not Force a Deadline
There is no doubt that you want to get the negotiation process over as fast as possible and move on with the rest of your life. However, you have to remain patient as you negotiate. You will have challenges during your alimony negotiations. Both you and your spouse will have interjections and changes as you go through the process. This takes time. Trust the process and do not rush. You do not want to risk making a mistake or not getting a fair settlement.
Maintain Your Composure
Depending on the relationship and the circumstance of your divorce, you may have some negative feelings towards your spouse and the divorce. However, you need to keep yourself calm as you negotiate. Getting angry and frustrated will only make the process less comfortable for everyone and could delay the process.
Also, do not get mad at the initial alimony proposal. Your attorney will be working for you to help get the best settlement possible. You may not like the initial proposal, but this is why you negotiate. Inform your attorney of what you would prefer in your alimony figure and trust them to help get you there. However, you will eventually have to accept the terms ordered by the judge. You should avoid dragging out the process as much as you can so you can all move on.
For more information, contact a divorce lawyer near you.
Share24 February 2023
Like many other people, I admire the important tasks lawyers take on every day. I’m amazed at how knowledgeable general attorneys are about a variety of subjects. These professionals can accomplish many complicated jobs seamlessly, such as representing a client in a civil lawsuit, assisting a business with a merger, and acting on a client’s behalf in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Besides creating detailed legal briefs, they must argue their clients’ cases in court in front of a judge, jurors, and others. On this blog, I hope you will discover how crucial general attorneys are to this country’s legal system.