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State Laws
Spousal support at divorce

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In family law, when a person files for divorce, the judge will often order one spousal support the other during the lawsuit, and may also require that spouse to pay the other's legal expenses. And at the end of the lawsuit, the judge might order one spousal support the other in the future.

Most couples (working with their lawyers) try to come to some agreement as to how property will be divided and how much support (if any) one will pay the other and for how long. If the parties can't agree, the judge will decide the issues of property division and support rights, and spousal support.

Family laws governing these issues varies among the states, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot, particularly if the states are operating under different property systems - "common law" systems as opposed to "community property" systems. Since the division of property and determination of support obligations are extremely important matters, it is critical that you be represented by a family law attorney who is familiar with the particular system in your state. If you have questions about spousal support, contact an attorney in your area.

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