Couples often intertwine their lives in several different ways over the length of their marriage. This may be through finances or their children. It is because of this that divorces are a difficult process. This requires the spouses to separate their lives after combining them. In many situations, one spouse may be required by the court to make support payments. This may be spousal support or child support. These payments exist to financially support the other party throughout their life until they become independent.
Spousal Support
When couples are married for a long time, they often decide to combine their finances and assets. There are some situations in which families may have a single income. This means one spouse may work while the other may be the caretaker of their children and home. When this happens, the caretaking spouse may be completely dependent on the other for finances. If they decide to divorce, the dependent spouse is often left in an unfair financial situation without an income of their own for so long.
It is n these situations that an independent spouse may owe support payments to the dependent spouse. This is known as spousal support or alimony. These payments help the dependent spouse to live on their own without worrying about their financial state while they work towards their own independence. There are different types of alimony in New Jersey that may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the divorce. This can include open durational alimony, limited duration alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and reimbursement alimony.
Child Support
When a couple has children, they must settle child support payments. These payments exist so that a child is able to maintain the same standard of living they were used to before the divorce. When custody is determined, parents are given different roles that affect their financial responsibilities as well. A child’s custodial parent is required to provide them with a home, clothes, food, an education, and more. As these expenses can become overwhelming for one parent to take care of on their own, the non-custodial parent is required to help. This is done through child support payments to the custodial parent. This balances out the child’s cost of living so that both parents are financially assisting their child during their upbringing.
Parents must pay child support their child is seen as independent. This happens when they reach the age of emancipation. In New Jersey, this age is generally 19 years old. However, as every family is different, it can vary from case to case. Sometimes, the court may decide to extend support payments if the child cannot yet support themselves. To end these payments, a parent is required to petition the court for the child’s emancipation. If the court agrees, support payments can be terminated.
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