Ohio Spousal Support Attorney

Spousal support, formerly known in Ohio as alimony, can be awarded to either spouse and is money paid for the support and maintenance of the paid spouse.

If have questions about spousal support in your case, please contact the David A. Looney Co. LPA at 330-785-3337, or fill out our contact form. We serve clients in the Summit, Portage, Stark, Medina, and Wayne counties of Ohio. With over 50 years of combined legal experience, we are aggressive, equipped and prepared to fight for you and help you solve your legal problems.

Spousal support can be paid in the form of real estate or personal property, a lump sum of money, or money paid in installments. Spousal support can be for a certain length of time, or it can continue indefinitely until further order of the court. Spousal support can terminate upon the occurrence of a specified event, such as the remarriage of the recipient spouse or the death of either party. When the court retains jurisdiction to modify spousal support, it can do so only when there has been a material or substantial change in the circumstances of either party.

Section 3105.15 of the Ohio Revised Code instructs the court to consider the following factors in determining whether Spousal support is appropriate and reasonable:

• The relative earning abilities of the parties;
• The ages and the physical and emotional condition of the parties;
• Retirement benefits;
• Expectations and inheritances ;
• The duration of the marriage;
• The extent to which custody and care of a minor child will interfere with a party seeking employment outside the home;
• The standard of living established during the marriage;
• The relative education of the parties;
• The relative assets and liabilities of the parties;
• Property brought to the marriage by either party;
• The contribution of each party to the education, training, or earning ability of the other party, including, but not limited to, any party’s contribution to the acquisition of a professional degree of the other party;
• The time and expense necessary for the spouse who is seeking spousal support to acquire education, training, or job experience so that the spouse will be qualified to obtain appropriate employment;
• The tax consequences for each party of an award of spousal support;
• The lost income production capacity of either party that resulted from that party’s marital responsibilities;
• Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant and equitable.

There is no precise formula for determining the amount that will be awarded. The court must use its judicial discretion and take into consideration the items mentioned in statute cited above.

The experienced family law attorneys at the David A. Looney Co. LPA can advise you about your right to spousal support. Call us at 330-785-3337, or fill out our contact form.