What Happens if My Ex Refuses to Make Alimony Payments in Alabama?

Support Payments After a Divorce in Alabama

When couples go through a divorce, it can impact their entire family. Doing so separates a life that was built together by a couple over an extended period of time. This can often be a complex process, as the spouses’ lives are tied together in more ways than one. Because of this, one spouse may be required to pay the other support payments after the divorce. This form of assistance allows the other spouse to prosper as they did while they were still married. Two types of payments that are made from one spouse to another can be spousal support and child support.

Spousal Support

When two people bring their lives together through marriage, they often combine their finances as well. In some cases, one spouse may be the financial earner of the family while the other is the caretaker of the house and any children. This can leave one spouse at a disadvantage after the divorce, as they do not have their own income to build a life on their own.

When this happens, the independent spouse may owe the dependent spouse court-ordered payments for a required period of time This is known as spousal support but commonly referred to as alimony. These payments allow the dependent spouse the opportunity to live comfortably on their own while they begin to gain independence. There are different types of alimony that are required to be paid depending on the former spouses’ situations. This can include temporary, rehabilitative, periodic, or limited alimony.

Child Support

When the spouses have children, child support payments are to be determined. Because the child spends the majority of their time with the custodial parent, they are the parent that is required to provide their child with shelter, clothes, food, and more. This can become very expensive for one parent to handle on their own. Because of this, the child’s non-custodial parent is required to continue financially assisting their child as well after a divorce. This allows the child to maintain the life they were accustomed to living before the divorce.

In the state of Alabama, a parent must pay child support until the child reaches the age of emancipation. This age can vary on a case to case basis. Typically, the age of emancipation in Alabama is presumed to be 19 years old. However, there are cases in which a court may extend payments. To end support payments, a parent must file with the court to declare that their child is emancipated. If the court agrees, the payments can be terminated.

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