Northern Virginia Family Law Firm Handles Divorce and Alimony Cases

Arlington, Virginia Divorce Strong Advocate for Spousal Support

Stay at home moms facing divorce in Virginia typically have many concerns about their financial security. Spousal support, also known as alimony, can be awarded in certain situations, depending upon the circumstances. If you are a stay at home mom, and have no or sparse work history, and/or if you have young children that you and your spouse have agreed that you should stay at home to care for the children; you are more likely than not going to be awarded some sort of spousal support in divorce.

There are several reasons that Virginia courts award spousal support including but not limited to: to award a spouse financial resources to equalize the parties in divorce; and to compensate a spouse for their contribution to the home or to help advance their career. Although not every woman is eligible for spousal support, it can offer stay at home moms a fresh start and the compensation they sacrificed when they put their career on hold to raise their children.

When determining eligibility for spousal support in Virginia, courts take a number of statutory factors into consideration, such as:

• The duration of the marriage
• Arrangements made during the marriage
• The lifestyle the couple lived
• The education level of each spouse at the time of the divorce
• Whether the stay at home mom is able to enter the workforce immediately, or needs to obtain education or training first

Although society and cultural trends have changed, and so have spousal support awards given the trend that many women are educated and may even make more money than there husbands; if you prove that you have stayed at home and sacrificed your own career opportunities at the request or agreement of your husband, or that you need the opportunity to get on an equal playing field with your husband and need to obtain additional education and/or work experience in order to earn a living, you may still be awarded either rehabilitative spousal support or permanent spousal support depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. Rehabilitative spousal support is set for a set duration in order to permit you to get back on your feet; while permanent spousal support has no ending until further rulings of a court.

If you are a stay at home mom, it is important to maximize your legal rights in order to ensure you are not cheated in the divorce process. You need professional guidance to ensure you are able to maximize your legal rights.

Contact an Experienced Virginia Family Law Attorney Today

Is your divorce leaving you without a career and resources to take care of yourself? Claudia Zucker has been practicing family law in Virginia for over two decades and will use her experience with spousal support issues to be a strong advocate for you. Contact us online or call (703) 596-1005 to schedule your initial consultation today.