Tennessee Alimony Awards
How alimony is awarded is often a mystery to clients. At Abernathy, Story, Stovall, Hood, Harris, Garner, Ashworth and Campbell, An Association of Attorneys, our lawyers answer your questions about alimony, also known as spousal support. We determine whether you are eligible for alimony or will have to make payments. We talk about the factors the court uses in determining an alimony award.
Our attorneys discuss the different types of alimony:
- In futuro, or periodic alimony, generally awarded in cases of lengthy marriages
- Rehabilitative alimony, generally to help spouses improve their ability to earn a salary
- In solido, or lump sum alimony, generally used to compensate for one-sided property division
Alimony is decided at the time of the divorce and cannot be awarded later as a modification. This is why it is important to have an attorney to advocate for you if you are seeking alimony or trying to avoid paying it. The court looks at factors such as the length of the marriage, age of the parties, fault in the divorce, the contributions of each party to the marriage and many other considerations.
Property Division in Tennessee Divorce
Tennessee is an equitable division state. This means that the division of marital property does not have to be equal; rather, it must be fair. If the parties are unable to agree on the division of their marital assets, they must go to court to have a judge rule on a settlement.
Marital property is defined as anything jointly acquired during the marriage; determining the extent of marital property, as opposed to separate property, is the first task. Once the marital property has been defined, it can then be divided.
Clients ask questions such as:
- Does fault in the marriage affect property division?
- Is my inheritance considered marital property or separate property?
- What are the tax consequences of a proposed division of property?
- I worked a part-time job so my spouse could get an MBA. Does this contribution affect property division?
- Do I have to give up the presents my spouse gave me?
We answer questions such as these and advocate for fair property settlements, recommending mediation as an effective way to save time, legal fees and stress.
Contact our Franklin alimony attorney to learn more about property division and spousal support in Tennessee.
