Is alimony permanent in New Jersey? Can men be awarded alimony in NJ? What are the grounds for alimony modification? These and more questions answered in the Alimony section of the Cistaro Law website.
In 2014, New Jersey passed the Alimony Reform Act that introduced a number of changes to the state’s alimony laws. One of those changes was replacing “permanent alimony” with “open durational alimony” and clarifying when this kind of long-term alimony can be awarded in a New Jersey divorce. In actuality, permanent alimony was a misnomer…
New Jersey law allows for either ex-spouse to make a request for modification of support, be it a nonpaying spouse in need of additional support or a paying spouse who can no longer afford his or her alimony payments. There may be grounds for modifying alimony under the following circumstances: Increase in the cost of…
Long gone are the days when family courts would almost automatically award custody and support to women in divorce cases. The changing roles of men and women in the workforce and the marriage equality movement are now reflected in our laws regarding the family, blurring traditional gender roles and making it just as likely that…
The primary purpose of a temporary alimony award is to enable a supported spouse to maintain the same standard of living they had during the marriage. The premise behind temporary support is that spouses should not have to experience a dramatic change in financial circumstances just because the marriage ended. A judge may award temporary…
For many women who face a divorce, the prospects of having to live on half of what used to support you both is frightening — especially for women who have stayed at home to raise the children and now face the prospect of having to look for outside employment. Alimony is not a given in…
In 2014, New Jersey overhauled its divorce and alimony law, including a new statute that defined cohabitation as “a mutually supportive, intimate personal relationship in which a couple has undertaken duties and privileges that are commonly associated with marriage or civil union but does not necessarily maintain a single common household.” The 2014 cohabitation statute…
It is not unusual for financial circumstances to change after a divorce, and New Jersey law allows for either ex-spouse to make a request for modification of support, be it a paying spouse who can no longer afford his or her alimony payments or a nonpaying spouse in need of additional support. There may be…
One of the most common questions divorcing couples share is, what kind of income is used to determine alimony and child support in New Jersey? NJ courts calculate both alimony and child support using both spouses’ gross income, which can come from any of these sources: Compensation for services, including: wages, fees, tips, and commissions;…
In the State of New Jersey, when determining whether a litigant should be granted alimony, the courts must analyze and apply the fourteen factors enumerated in the alimony statute N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23: 1. The need of one individual for support and the ability of an individual to pay; 2.The length of the individuals’ marriage or their…
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in late 2017 and signed into law by President Trump stipulates that for all divorce agreements entered into after Dec. 31, 2018, an ex-spouse paying alimony will no longer be able to deduct it from his or her federal income taxes. The ex-spouse who receives alimony will potentially…
If you are considering or are currently going through a divorce in New Jersey, alimony will be one of the factors that is likely to play a large role in your divorce negotiations. Unlike some other states, New Jersey courts do not use specific alimony calculators to determine support. Instead, a judge will weigh 13…
When alimony is included in a New Jersey divorce settlement, both the paying and the receiving ex-spouses may wonder what the potential effect is on the paying of alimony if the receiving spouse enters into a cohabitation arrangement with a new partner. The answer can be more complicated than you might imagine. In 2014, New…