Child Support and Alimony: A Crucial Distinction

Divorce has provided millions of couples an opportunity to peacefully end a troubled marriage. After any major life change, however, your financial circumstances may change. Alimony payments are a way for one spouse to support the other financially after a divorce, temporarily or long-term. When there are children involved, and depending on your custody agreement, one spouse may be required to pay child support.

Although there are some similarities between alimony and child support, the legal distinction is very important. Alimony payments are often made voluntarily. The court may require them, but typically breaches of an alimony contract can only be handled by a debt collector; the court will probably not step in. Child support, in contrast, is a legal requirement. Failure to pay child support can result in serious fines or even jail time.

Child support is taken this seriously because raising a child is extraordinarily expensive, especially for one person. One only need ask one of America’s millions of single parents to learn the importance of child support. In contrast, there are fewer stay-at-home parents now than ever before. With both spouses in most marriages in the workforce, alimony is decreasingly necessary. Of course this, like many things in divorce law, depends heavily on your particular situation.

Contact Us

Aside from financial issues, there are many considerations to work through when you decide to get a divorce. Only an experienced divorce lawyer can work with you to make the process smoother and less stressful for both you and your spouse.

The compassionate Oceanside divorce lawyers of Fischer & Van Thiel can help you. To discuss your case directly with a lawyer, contact them today at 760-722-7646.