In today’s day and age, couples are not strictly limited to marriage. Oftentimes, life partners will seek alternatives to marriage. One of those alternatives is cohabitation. New Jersey law defines cohabitation as follows: “A mutually supportive, intimate personal relationship in which a couple has undertaken duties and privileges that are commonly associated with marriage or civil union but does not necessarily maintain a single common household.”
That being said, if you and your partner were togather for years, shared many assets, and are now splitting up, you may feel unsure of the process ahead and how it may affect your life. While standard divorce proceedings are often uncertain at best, cohabitation proceedings are oftentimes even more complicated. Furthermore, if you are financially dependent on your partner, you may be seeking alimony payments to help ensure that you can uphold your standard of life. This is a very complicated matter, which is why if you find yourself in this situation, your best option is to continue reading and speak with our experienced Bergen County family law attorneys to learn more about whether you may receive the alimony payments you deserve and need.
Can I receive alimony if I was not married to my partner in New Jersey?
In short, the answer to this questions is yes. However, the answer is only yes under certain circumstances. The courts will analyze various aspects of your partnership to determine whether you and your partner truly were cohabitants and that you, therefore, qualify for alimony payments. Some of those factors are as follows:
- The duration of your relationship together
- Whether your finances are commingled. For example, if you share a bank account or have any joint liabilities, NJ courts will consider you as a canditate for alimony payments.
- Whether you and your partner shared living responsibilites and the cost of those responsibilities
- Whether your family, your partner’s family, and your friends recognized your partnership as a legitimate one
- Whether you and your partner lived together, and if not, how frequently the two of you spent time together
- Whether you and your partner shared chores
- Any other factor the court deems relevant
If you have any additional questions about alimony in NJ and how we can help you get the payments you deserve, give our knowledgeable Bergen County family law attorneys a call today. We are here to help.
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.
