Spousal maintenance, previously called alimony, is an award by the court, in a dissolution or legal separation proceeding, of payments made by one spouse for the support and maintenance of the other.

There are a number of factors that are considered in any award of spousal maintenance, including the length of the marriage, the health of the parties, the individual education and work experience, whether one spouse has forgone career advancement to support the other's career as well as the financial resources of both parties.

If the parties cannot agree otherwise, the court will decide whether an award of spousal maintenance is appropriate based on the individual facts of each case, and also determine if the maintenance award will be temporary or permanent.

When one party's circumstances have substantially changed - due to remarriage, a new or lost job, retirement etc., a modification of maintenance may be warranted.

Please contact us to learn more and to find out how we can help you with your spousal maintenance needs.

For your information, the following is a link to the Minnesota Statute on spousal maintenance:

Minnesota Statutes 518.552: Maintenance