How is alimony, spousal support, or maintenance determined?

The divorce laws of all the states determine if, and the length of time, one spouse will have to pay spousal support to the other after the termination of the marriage. This is a contentious issue in divorce, but many couples are able to take a decision on it by themselves, and if they are unable to reach a decision, they contact professionals to help them out.
In some cases, where equitable division of property is a concern, one of the factors taken into consideration is if a spouse is ready to pay support to the other. When the decision for maintenance or spousal support is to be taken, the court takes into consideration the division of property amongst the spouses. In community property states, this is usually not a concern. Factors like prior standard of living and economic status of both the parties are given more weightage. However, in the equitable property states, along with division of property, certain other factors are considered too, such as:

• Length of the marriage
• The presence of young children at home
• Employment opportunities that are available to the spouse who is requesting for spousal support
• The extent to which the dependent spouse contributed to the attainment of a professional license or education of the other spouse