Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines

Spousal support advisory guidelines (SSAG) are essential to follow when you get separated from your partner. It is your duty to look after your ex-partner as once you shared a beautiful relationship. But it may change according to the present situation after research.

Take the help of a family lawyer and law to reach a decision. But the most operative way is to go for a settlement with all the elder parents from the families.

Read below carefully to know more about it in detail.

What is spousal support?

Spousal support is an amount of money that is to be paid by one spouse to the other after their separation or divorce. It is also known as maintenance or alimony. This word is very common nowadays, and spousal support lawyers handle these types of cases.

The purpose of giving maintenance is to ensure the opposite spouse’s proper economic support with no or lower wages. This wage is determined after a considerable amount of research about the spouses’ income, duration of the marriage, contribution to career, and the payer’s health condition.

This chance is available for those who are legally married and abides by the rules of society.

Issues the court considers

The court considers a few aspects in determining the amount, whether to see it is perfect. These are:

• The financial need of each spouse.
• The time length of the relationship.
• The role of each spouse during the married life.
• Any court order regarding the child, if any.

If both the partners do jobs even after marriage, then there no need to pay the support, but if not, then an amount that will be fixed from the court should be paid per month.

If both of them have a minimal time of marriage life, there is no necessity to pay any support each month. Ex-partner’s parents will look after her and give her support.

If your ex-partner had many responsibilities like working both at home and outside, her hard work should be paid off.

You will, of course, need to pay the support if you have any children. Additionally, you need to pay child support for the children.

Spousal support advisory guidelines

It is better to decide the spousal support agreement with the family. Going to the court might be an extended procedure. Both of them should write and sign the contract as it will be a solid manuscript and the safest way to avoid misinterpretation.

But when it comes to a judge’s supervision, you may not have any flexibility as he will decide everything based on spousal support guidelines. There are several instructions to be followed under it. Of course, the judge will look upon both of your financial condition first before determining.

The main reason for this agreement is to make the spousal support amount fair. So here is the complete procedure of the steps that are to be looked upon during a settlement.

Meeting with lawyer

It is highly essential to meet with a professional or family lawyer about your next moves because he can monitor you in the right way. For example, he can provide you with:

• necessary information about the guidelines.
• calculating method to find out the exact support amount.
• your absolute rights even after divorce.
• the right arrangements if you go to court.

You may also like: Complete Guideline of Spousal Sponsorship Checklist

With child formula

Suppose you have continued a married life of 12 years, and you have 2 children. Now let us look at the support payment calculating procedure:

Payer’s Monthly Gross Income	$130,000/12 =$10,833
Child Support for 2 Children	$2,000
Taxes Paid~30%	$10,833*30% = $3,250
Total Calculation
Monthly Gross Income -Child Support -Taxes Total	$10,833 -$2,000 -$3,250 =$5,583

 

Receiver’s Monthly Gross Income	$50,000/12 =$4,166
Child Support Received	$2,000
Taxes Paid~20%	$4,166*20% = $833
Total Calculation
Monthly Gross Income +Child Support -Taxes Total	$4,166 +$2,000 -$833 =$5333

 

By adding both of their totals: $5,583+$5333 = $10,916

Since children live with the receiver, the payer has to pay a 55-60% amount of the total as a support amount. But the payer has to give 45-50% in case of only one child.

For example:

Receiving money: 55-60% of 10,916 = $6,003 to $6,550

Now subtract these amounts from the receiver’s total:

• $6,003-$5333 = $670
• $6,550-$5333 = $1217

Therefore, the receiver’s spousal support could range from $670 to $1217 monthly with children.

Without child formula

It is the same as with child formula with slight changes as they do not have any child. Payer has to pay a 1.5% to 2% support amount. Now let us look at the support payment calculating procedure:

Payer’s Monthly Gross Income	$10,833
Receiver’s Monthly Gross Income	$4,166
Difference Between Incomes	$10,833 -$4,166 =$6,667
Years of Togetherness	12 Years

 

• Percentage into decimals: 1.5% = 0.015 and 2% = 0.02
• Multiply these decimals with the difference in income: 0.015* $6,667 = $100

and 0.02* $6,667 = $133

• Finally, multiply these final numbers with the years of togetherness: $100* 12 = $1200

and $133* 12 = $1,596

Therefore, the receiver’s spousal support could range from $1200 to $1596 monthly without children.

How long do you have to pay spousal support?

Suppose both the ex-partners do a job and get a handsome salary. Moreover, they do not have any children. They have continued married life for about 6 to 12 years. So, this is a very long time, more than a decade.

Several factors are to be looked upon while determining it. Such as:

1. Compensatory claims: The receiver needs and child support need, if any.
2. Ability to pay: Has enough money even after all expenses.
3. Property partition and debts
4. Sickness and disability

If they have no children, then there is no particular need to pay the support. The ex-partner also does not need any extra support, as she has a job already. She can only just claim for lower support for those 6 to 12 years married life.

Conclusion

From the above, you have known about spousal support advisory guidelines. Moreover, you have also learned in which cases the court will consider not to give any support. But it is your duty to provide the wages as you once love each other.

As it was possible to run the family before, then why not now. You just need to transfer the money to your ex-partner account. Through this, there will also be a friendly relationship between both of you.