Pearland Spousal Support Lawyers

Creating Solid Legal Arrangements for Residents of Harris County & Surrounding Areas

When it comes to spousal support, Texas is a difficult state for spouses to convince a court to award any sort of alimony (more commonly referred to as maintenance). There is a significant burden of proof on the spouse asking for spousal support upon the final dissolution of marriage. The situation has been further complicated by the recent overhaul of the Federal Tax Code, which eliminates the deduction for the payor and requires the receiver to report these payments as income. Our spousal support lawyers in Pearland, Texas, will help you create a strong strategy for your case for the best possible chance at a possible outcome to your case.

Call our law office today at (832) 299-1990 to set up your initial consultation. 

Types of Spousal Support in Texas

There are two primary kinds of spousal support in Texas. The first is contractual support and can be agreed upon before the divorce process begins.

You and the other party can create a support arrangement that addresses:

• the length of the plan
• the amount of money to be paid
• the frequency of the payments
• any other relevant factors

There are no eligibility requirements for either spouse to receive payments. This legal arrangement is voluntary and between the parties.

Court ordered spousal support, on the other hand, is limited. First, the spouse has to show the court that, upon final dissolution, there will not be enough property or assets for the spouse to meet their own minimum reasonable needs.

Then, they must also prove at least one of the following:

• That the marriage has lasted at least 10 years;
• The other spouse has committed family violence;
• The spouse asking for support has a disability that arose during the marriage; or
• There is a child of the marriage who has a disability which prevents the requesting spouse to earn sufficient income outside the home.

Additionally, when a spouse of a 10-year or more marriage seeks spousal support, they must show that they continued to work or diligently look for work that would enable them to support themselves. In other words, do not quit your job during the divorce and bank on the fact that the court will order spousal support.

Factors Surrounding the Amount of Spousal Support

There are statutory caps on court-ordered spousal maintenance in Texas. The spouse cannot be ordered to pay over $5,000.00 per month or 20% of the spouse’s average monthly gross income, whichever is lower. For high net worth estates, this can be a low cap.

That is where contractual alimony comes into play. Parties can agree to have an additional award on top of the court-ordered award, particularly if the parties had enjoyed a very high standard of living prior to the divorce.

Spousal Support Time Limits

Texas courts are required to limit court-ordered maintenance to the shortest reasonable time to ensure the recipient spouse has enough money to meet their minimum needs until they can support themselves. There are caps on the length of time a spouse is required to pay court-ordered maintenance.

If there was family violence, and the marriage was less than 10 years, then the limit is 5 years. If the marriage was between 10-20 years, then the limitation is also 5 years. Longer terms marriages, from 20-30 years, might have a spousal maintenance award of up to 7 years. Couples married longer than 30 years are entitled to a maintenance award of up to 10 years. However, if spousal maintenance is awarded due to either a disability of the spouse or a child of the marriage, there is no time limit. The maintenance will last for as long as that spouse or child is disabled.