Ability to Pay: Does the payer of the alimony have sufficient funds to pay it?
• Length of Marriage: A long term marriage (10 years or more) generally is a stronger case for the lower earning spouse. • Previous Lifestyle: Roughly speaking it takes into account how you lived your lives prior to the divorce, perhaps with some modifications. • Age and Health of Both Parties: May be impacted if major wage earner is retired, is disabled or in poor health, or may never have worked, etc. 15 Question. Should the custodial parent keep the house? Answer. This is a great question, because it is one of the most overlooked questions. The answer can only be determined after looking at the question in the context of complete financial and divorce planning. It’s important to determine what it will cost to maintain the home, including maintenance, repairs, taxes and inflation. The next step is to analyze if there is enough money coming in to stay comfortable in the home. Once that has been determined, the advisability of retaining the home must be compared to the advisability of
