One of the most important things divorcing couples have to settle is spousal support. Spouses can hire spousal support lawyers in such cases and discuss everything before the divorce will be deemed final. However, such agreements may not guarantee 100 percent compliance due to some reasons.

It can be a frustrating moment when your ex-spouse who is expected to pay you alimony do not comply with the agreement. There can be specific reasons why this happens. Nevertheless, there are still ways to settle this kind of stressful situation as diplomatic as possible.

Defining spousal support

Spousal support, also referred to as alimony, refers to the financial or monetary support given to the other spouse following a divorce. Back then, giving spousal support is exclusive to former husbands to their ex-wives who were financially dependent on their spouses.

Nowadays, spousal support can be applied both for former husbands and wives, whoever is earning more between the two. Spousal support can either be a temporary or permanent financial support for the receiving spouse. You can consult top rated divorce lawyers for any concerns regarding spousal support.

For example, spousal support can be temporary as a way to support the receiving spouse for its ongoing schooling or medical needs. On the other hand, it can be set permanently, meaning the giving spouse should give the receiving spouse the agreed amount until the latter remarries or one of them dies.

Why there are delays on spousal payment

Not receiving the expected spousal payment in an agreed schedule can be stressful, frustrating, and even devastating for the receiving spouse. If this happens, you can consult experienced divorce lawyers to help you settle this concern as soon as possible.

As mentioned, there are several reasons why a lot of receiving spouses experience delays in spousal payment. For example, the ex-spouse may have lost his job and is currently having financial difficulties which makes it hard for him to commit to the agreed payment schedule. Or perhaps the ex-spouse got involved in an accident or had a medical emergency which has affected his financial obligations to you.

It may also be because of resentment of the ex-spouse which is why he or she doesn’t want to provide spousal support as per agreement. In some cases, the ex-spouse has since remarried and now the new spouse is pressuring your ex-spouse not to give alimony to the receiving spouse.

Regardless of the reason, delays on spousal payment can be stressful. No matter how big or small the amount, it can surely help a lot on your finances following the divorce. In such cases, it is best to hire family lawyers to settle this concern.

What to do if your ex-spouse does not want to give alimony

As mentioned, there are reasons why there are delays in spousal payments. Worse, payments can stop altogether, leaving you in financial despair. However, that should not stop there. There are things you can do to get to the root of the problem.

Find out why there is a delay.

It is important to determine the reason for the spousal delays by contacting your ex-spouse. If it is because he or she lost a job or got involved in an accident or has a medical condition, the court can suspend or lessen the amount of alimony until the giving spouse gets back on his/her track financially.

But what if the spouse simply does not want to pay?

If you learned that the spouse is purposefully delaying alimony, you should discuss this with spousal support lawyers and take your case to court. You can file a court motion to make the spouse pay you up. If the ex-spouse still resists, the court can order the ex-spouse to be put to jail and hold the spouse’s income.

Consider other ways to collect unpaid spousal support.

Filing for a court motion can be the last straw. Before that happens, you can consider other options such as mediation, filing in a small claims court, or wage garnishment. You should have divorce lawyers on your side to support with the legal process.

Conclusion

Divorce can be financially draining even after the procedure has been finalized. That is why it is important to heed with the agreed terms to avoid further hassles in the future. Communication between the ex-spouse is a major key, whether they like it or not. For other legal concerns, you can rely on the best divorce lawyers in Fairfax VA.