Spousal Support

In California, married parties owe a duty to each other to provide for the care and support of the other spouse. This duty continues even after the couple decides to separate and divorce. Our divorce attorneys will work closely with you to make sure your support case is presented fairly and according to your full legal rights.

2019 ALERT: recent changes to tax law may impact prior support orders and prospective support orders

Spousal support comes in two flavors:

  1. Temporary support is intended to keep the spouses in a relatively equal financial position while the case is working its way through the system. It is fairly straightforward to calculate, and is based primarily on the incomes of the two spouses.
  2. Post-Judgment/Permanent support is more complicated. With the purpose of measuring a number of factors regarding the circumstances during the marriage, including the “marital lifestyle,” a support order aims to most closely approximate what the couple enjoyed while they were married. A marriage of 10 years or more generally results in a support order without a set termination date, while a shorter marriage may end with support being paid for a length of time equal to one-half the duration of the marriage. This is not a hard and fast rule, though.

Any number of facts and circumstances can come into play in an order for temporary or post-Judgment support, and our firm’s experience in this area is vast. Purcell Stowell divorce attorneys will provide the professional guidance to help you obtain an appropriate spousal support order whatever the factual circumstances.

Our boutique practice covers the spectrum of family law. 

PURCELL STOWELL PC founders are Certified Family Law Specialists and have experience handling cases in situations unique or universal.