The mere mention of the words alimony or spousal support might stir your emotions and start your stomach churning.

If your spouse has filed for divorce and is seeking alimony, you might see it as a double injustice—your marriage is ending and you feel like you have to pay for it, too. If you are seeking spousal support, you might feel hurt and confused that your spouse is resistant to helping support you, even though you may have interrupted your career to stay home to care for your children.

Alimony is one of the most emotional and difficult issues in a divorce. Also, unlike child support, it is quite subjective in New Mexico and does not rely primarily on a mathematical calculation. Thus, judges, and certainly different judicial districts, may treat this issue differently.

Learning more about New Mexico’s laws on spousal support, also referred to as alimony or maintenance, can help you move from your emotional reaction to the reality of possible outcomes in your case. Uncertainty about the precise amount of alimony that may be awarded or the number of years it might be paid is not unusual.

Work closely with your attorney. Be open to possibilities. Try looking at it from your spouse’s perspective. Alimony is not supposed to punish the payor, but rather is designed to provide a more equal financial footing to both parties postdivorce.

With the help of your attorney, you will know the best course of action to take toward an alimony decision you can live with after your divorce is over.

For more information our book Divorce in New Mexico is available for $14.95 on the home page of our website.