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Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)

Spousal maintenance (commonly referred to as alimony) is an ongoing payment from one spouse to the other. The intent of spousal maintenance is to make the divorce as equitable and fair as possible.

Often, throughout a marriage, one spouse will sacrifice professional or educational opportunities for the benefit of the household. For instance, a couple may elect to have one spouse stay home with the children while the other concentrates on professional pursuits. If the couple divorces, the stay at home spouse will have fallen behind his or her peers professionally, and his or her employment and salary opportunities will be at a disadvantage. In this and other similar cases, a court could issue an award of alimony to the former stay at home spouse until that spouse can adequately support him or herself.

Arizona Revised Statutes §25-319 provides for certain factors that a judge will take under consideration in determining whether spousal maintenance is appropriate. Ultimately, this determination will be on a case-by-case basis and contingent upon numerous underlying factors during the marriage.