If you have decided to divorce your spouse, you might worry about your ability to support yourself after your marriage ends. This is probably especially true if you opted to stay home and raise children while your soon-to-be ex-spouse worked and earned money. Luckily, you probably have a right not to struggle financially.
The purpose of alimony is to provide financial assistance to one spouse after divorce. It is appropriate when the receiving spouse needs support to maintain his or her standard of living. Even if you qualify for spousal support, you must realize it usually does not last forever.
You decide to remarry
According to Michigan law, courts can terminate spousal support when the receiving spouse remarries.
There is a workaround to this, however. If your divorce judgment allows for alimony after your remarriage, you may continue to receive financial support from your ex-spouse. Nevertheless, if you are in a new relationship, you may want to think twice before walking down the aisle.
Either you or your ex-spouse dies
Your ex-spouse’s obligation to pay alimony does not survive his or her death. It also does not survive the end of your life. As a result, you probably cannot go after your ex-spouse’s estate for alimony you would have received should he or she have lived.
While these two bright-line rules exist, your ex-spouse can request a modification of the alimony order for a few different reasons. Ultimately, once you realize your alimony might not last forever, you can take steps to build the foundation for a financially sound future.
