Perhaps you have heard or read about Kelly Clarkson’s divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock, and how the court her ordered to pay millions in spousal support payments? Is such a thing unprecedented and can it happen in New Jersey? If you are a man and are asking yourself these very questions, please read on, then contact one of our experienced alimony and spousal support attorneys in Bergen County, NJ to learn if men can get alimony in New Jersey.
Do men qualify for alimony in New Jersey?
Yes, if the financial and lifestyle circumstances allow for it, either spouse, including men, can request or be awarded alimony. You see, all laws in the Garden State with regard to marriage, divorce, child custody, parenting time or any other family law issue are designed to be gender-neutral. If a law exists on the books that favors one gender over another, the courts may view it as discriminatory. No law is perfect, but if the spouses have a sizeable income disparity between each other, the party earning more money could have to pay spousal support. Of course, like everyone else, men will need to prove that they need alimony from their spouses.
How do men qualify for alimony in New Jersey?
For a New Jersey man to qualify for alimony, he must document one or more of the following conditions, among others:
- The actual need for, and ability of the spouse to pay
- The marriage lasted long enough
- His age, and physical and mental health warrant it
- He was accustomed to a certain standard of living and both he and his former spouse can maintain that lifestyle after the divorce
- He has limited earning capacity, educational levels, vocational skills and employability
- As a supported spouse, he was absent from the job market
- He has significant parental responsibilities
- He needs time and money to acquire education or training to find employment
- Training and employment are available to him
- He has the opportunity for future assets and income with the requisite training and/or education
- He has made significant financial and/or non-financial contributions to the marriage
For more information on this process and how we can help you, you should reach out to one of our skilled Bergen County, NJ family law and divorce attorneys today.
Contact our experienced Bergen County firm
At Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients to understand and protect their legal rights before, during, and after the divorce process in towns across New Jersey and Bergen County, including Hackensack, Ridgewood, Paramus, Teaneck, and Fort Lee. To speak with our team of divorce lawyers today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your concerns about your divorce, please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.
