If you are paying your former spouse alimony and you lose your job, that can be a stressful situation. You’re not the only one who has been in this situation though. That means that there are ways to address these kinds of issues when they come up, but you have to go through the proper channels. A Tazewell County alimony lawyer from our firm can help.
Can an Alimony Agreement Be Modified If I Lose My Job?
The court is likely to understand someone struggling to meet their alimony obligations after they lose their job. If you end up unemployed, you need to address it right away. You should try to bring your former spouse to court and ask for a change to your alimony agreement.
A temporary change to alimony can often be granted due to extreme circumstances. Becoming unemployed often qualifies as extreme circumstances. There is only so much that can be done to pry money out of the hands of someone who does not have any, so the court will generally allow you to modify the order. Then the agreement can be revisited once you have secured employment.
What Should I Do After I Lose My Job?
It’s not always that simple to get an alimony modification though. This is because the court needs to also be convinced that you are actually seeking out work. You’ll also need evidence of your dismissal and the efforts you have taken since then.
This is why it’s a good idea to take your court date seriously and prepare well for your time in front of the judge. You are going to want to show evidence of your firing, like a termination letter and unemployment claims, but that’s not all. The court will also want to see if you are applying for similar work. If you have evidence like copies of job applications or correspondence with potential employers, that can help.
If the court believes that you are acting in good faith and that this is just a temporary speed bump, it should be possible to secure a modification of your alimony agreement, at least in the short term.
Why Can’t I Just Stop Paying?
As we said though, you have to go through the proper channels here. If you just stop paying, you’re going to land in some legal trouble. Even if you can later show that you lost your job and that’s why you didn’t pay, you are still likely to end up being forced to make any back-payments. Addressing this with the court as soon as possible is the way to go here.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you are having any issues relating to alimony, contact Butler, Giraudo & Meister, P.C. to schedule a consultation. We can help you address these matters before you get in trouble with the courts and your former spouse. Take the smart approach and confront any issues head-on with the help of our seasoned family law attorneys.
