There are different forms of alimony that the court in Clarksville may choose to award to you. Many of those that come to us here at Runyon and Runyon may automatically assume that they will be awarded alimony as part of their divorce settlements. However, certain circumstances must first be met before the court will consider taking such a step. Your current situation may also dictate the type of alimony you may receive. In a prior post, we touched upon rehabilitative alimony (support provided until you are able to achieve the same standard of living you enjoyed during your marriage); now we will investigate alimony in futuro.
The Alimony Bench Book released by the Tennessee Bar Association recognizes alimony in futuro as also being referred to as periodic alimony. It is periodic in the sense that it is awarded for indefinite period of time. It is typically assigned by the court if, after reviewing the facts of your case, it is determined that you will be unable to achieve an earning capacity that will allow you to either approach the same lifestyle you had while married, or approach the standard that your ex-spouse is expected to be able to achieve. An example of where alimony in futuro may be applied is if you divorce later in life, and it is unreasonable to expect you to acquire an employable skill and still have time to establish a career.
Alimony in futuro payments end when you either die or remarry. If you choose to cohabitate with another, the court may assume that either your partner is supporting you or is benefiting from your alimony money. In either case, it may then choose to lower your ex-spouse’s obligation.
More facts on earning alimony after a divorce can be found here on our site.