Oakland Spousal Support and Alimony Lawyer

A Patient and Amicable Attorney with Strong Negotiation Skills to Settle Your San Francisco Bay Area Alimony

One important matter of negotiation for divorcing couples is spousal support, or alimony. An experienced alimony attorney can make a key difference to the outcome of your discussion, as they can ensure your rights and interests as former spouse are being appropriately addressed. At People Law Practice, Attorney Susanna Tuan has uniquely strong negotiation skills coupled by her amicable personality that will help to streamline your alimony discussion. Our firm will do our best to help you and your former spouse reach a fair alimony settlement.

Forever Evolving with Your Family
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Temporary Spousal Support Orders

California courts offer a few different types of support orders that vary based on how long the support payments last. For one, an individual can petition for temporary support, which is paid for the duration of the divorce and ends once the divorce is finalized.

The purpose of temporary support is mainly to allow a lower-earning spouse to cover living expenses during the divorce process. This type of support is actually calculated according to the California child support guidelines instead of the standard spousal support factors.

Rehabilitative Support

Rehabilitative support is the most common type of alimony option and may be granted in cases where one spouse earns more than the other or was the primary earner in the family while the other cared for the children during the marriage. The purpose of rehabilitative support is to provide the lower-earning spouse enough support to adjust to post-divorce life, such as obtaining necessary job skills or education to enter the workforce and eventually become self-supporting.

To calculate the amount of spousal support to be ordered, the court will consider:

  • the length of the marriage;
  • the needs of each person based on the standard of living they had during the marriage;
  • the amount each person pays or can pay to keep the standard of living they had during the marriage;
  • whether having a job would make it too hard to take care of the children;
  • the age and health of both people;
  • debts and property;
  • whether either spouse helped the other get an education, training, career, or professional license;
  • whether there was domestic violence in the marriage;
  • whether either spouse’s career was affected by unemployment or by taking care of the children or home; and
  • the tax impact of spousal support.

Permanent Support Orders

A third and rarer option is the permanent support order, which is typically reserved for spouses ending a long-term marriage (10 or more years) where one spouse cannot enter the workforce due to advanced age or illness (such as a medical disability).

Negotiating Your Own Agreement

Note that spousal support can be either negotiated between the spouses themselves or, if they cannot reach an agreement, decided by a judge in trial. Some important things you and your attorney can address with your spouse include the amount, duration, and method of payment (e.g., wage garnishment).

Settle Your Alimony Negotiation with People Law Practice Today

Get started on your spousal support negotiation today. Attorney Susanna Tuan is a skilled negotiator who will do her best to ensure your interests and needs are being addressed. She will make a daunting process much easier for you and provide you with the patience and compassion you deserve to plan for your new future.

Schedule a initial consultation with People Law Practice online or at (415) 849-2278 to learn more.

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    We will first search for an amicable solution. If there is truly no amicable solution, we will provide our clients with a comprehensive account of their legal options and help them create the best case-strategy.

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