Alimony and Spousal Maintenance in San Antonio Texas
San Antonio TX Alimony and Divorce Lawyer – Family Law Attorney
The family dynamic in the United States has changed significantly over the last couple of generations, and this has impacted society in a number of ways, including the way that divorce is viewed from a legal perspective. In the past the typical American family was headed by the husband who acted as the sole breadwinner and his wife who eschewed a career to assume the role of homemaker. When marriages such as these dissolved in divorce, the woman was often times unable to support herself financially, so an alimony payment would be made from the man, who would be termed the supporting spouse, to his ex-wife who is referred to in this context as the dependent spouse.
These days a much higher percentage of women who get divorced are fully engaged in their careers and have no problem supporting themselves. For this reason alimony or what is now commonly referred to as spousal maintenance or spousal support is not such a given when divorce terms are being decided. However, spousal support is still sometimes appropriate, and divorcing couples can agree to a spousal support arrangement privately if they choose to do so, or it can be ordered at the discretion of the court.
The state of Texas does not presume that either party has any inherent responsibility to provide financial support to a former spouse, and there are certain conditions that must be met before the court can hear a spousal support case. The most common of these would be in cases when a domestic violence conviction was present or when the duration of the marriage was ten year or longer and the potential dependent spouse does not have the ability to be self supporting. It should be noted that court ordered spousal support payment amounts can be modified at some future juncture should a material change of circumstances become present.
For more information about alimony and spousal maintenance, contact a San Antonio TX family lawyer for a free consultation.
