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The alimony numbers in my state blew my mind last week
I was looking up divorce laws in Texas because my buddy is going through one and I wanted to help. Turns out, in Texas there is no permanent alimony. Most states cap it at like 3 to 5 years max unless there's a special situation. I honestly thought ex-spouses could get payments forever if the marriage lasted long enough. I found this on a legal aid website for my county and it totally changed how I think about divorce planning. My coworker is paying 40% of his income for 7 years in California, but here in Texas it's way different. Have you guys ran into any weird state rules that surprised you during your own cases?
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mileslane4d ago
Push back on @carr.abby a little here. Texas is actually way stricter than people realize. The spousal maintenance laws are pretty tough to qualify for. You basically have to be disabled or the marriage had to last longer than 10 years and you have to prove you can't find a job that pays enough. Most people don't get approved. And even then, it's capped at 5 years max with a hard limit on how much you can get. California's system really does let people get payments for way longer if the marriage was long enough, especially if one spouse gave up their career. That 40% your coworker is paying sounds brutal, but in Texas you'd be lucky to get any help at all unless you fit one of those narrow boxes. Have you looked at the actual court rulings in your county to see how many people actually get approved?
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grant1553d ago
Mileslane nailed it, Texas spousal maintenance is basically a myth unless you're disabled or married a decade.
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carr.abby4d ago
Actually I think Texas does allow spousal maintenance in some cases, just not forever. It's capped at 3 years or 5 years depending on how long you were married, and you have to prove you can't support yourself. Your mileage may vary but I found that out when a friend was looking into it.
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