Manhattan Spousal Support Lawyer

Spousal Support Attorney Protecting Clients’ Rights in Manhattan and All of NYC

Maintenance, or “spousal support,” is known elsewhere as “alimony.”  However it is termed in your NYC divorce proceeding, it is a tenuous element of the process. Tensions run high when money is involved and there is no better time to seek the legal guidance of an experienced Manhattan Spousal Support Lawyer. The compassionate, seasoned team at Chaim Steinberger, P.C. can assist you with this and other family law matters.

Like with child support, New York now has statutory guidelines to guide judges when making a maintenance award. (What New York calls maintenance is generally called “alimony” in the rest of the country.) The temporary and permanent maintenance provisions are contained in DRL § 236[B][5] and [6]. The guideline maintenance formula applies to income up to $184,000 (the current spousal maintenance Income Cap).

Manhattan Alimony Lawyer Getting You the Answers You Need

The formula used to determine maintenance is a complicated, several-step formula. For income equal to or less than the Income Cap, the Court:

i. Subtracts 20% of the payee’s income from 30% of the payor’s income if the payor will not be paying the payee child support, or 25% of the payee’s income from 20% of the payor’s income if the payor will be paying child support; then

ii. Subtracts the amount of the payee’s income from 40% of the sum of the payor’s and payee’s total combined income; and

iii. Finally, awards the lesser of the two above results as annual Spousal Support. If the Court finds that a guideline award would be unjust or inappropriate based on the factors enumerated in the law, the court can modify the amount. The court may also award an additional appropriate amount of maintenance on income exceeding the cap, again by considering the factors enumerated in the statute.

The maintenance, or alimony, will be awarded for a length of time depending on the length of the marriage as follows:

You can access the court’s worksheets and calculators (Adobe Acrobat and Excel) here.

Call Manhattan Spousal Support Lawyer Chaim Steinberger To Get Help

Obviously, to guide you through such a complicated, multi-step process, and to identify and determine all of the legal issues that might benefit you, you need a skilled, caring, and dedicated Manhattan Family Law Attorney. If you are separating with your spouse or partner, you probably have a lot of questions. Feel free to contact us for a free telephone conversation to see if we can help you. Call (212) 964-6100 or fill out our convenient online form.

NOTE: This monograph is intended as an educational guide and not as legal advice. Legal advice should only be obtained from a qualified lawyer who is familiar with all of the facts and circumstances of your matter.