To many, the idea of Rhode Island alimony is the fault of a court mandating payments made to an unworthy spouse, but as far as the law is concerned, it is the right of both spouses to maintain living at a standard to which they were accustomed, during the length of the marriage.
Rightly or wrongly, alimony in Rhode Island is designed to keep your ex-spouse’s standard of living when they were with you.
Not always seen as fair but is usually “just” in most states, the person at fault must pay the other person who is found not to be at fault in the divorce.
Usually paid to the wife, payment is adjusted based on the income of both parties.
There is usually a minimum length of time for a couple to have remained married in order for alimony in Rhode Island to be granted.
Separation dates are generally counted and included for setting and awarding or ordering alimony payments.
Even if a couple were together for two years, for example followed by a 12-year separation, the court sees them as having been married for 14 years when calculating the amount of Rhode Island alimony payments and the length of time they will continue.
Rhode Island alimony should not ever be equal to child support.
If there are minors when you divorce and custody is decided, child support usually gets “ordered” by the court instructing the parent who doesn’t have custody to pay support for the kids.
The costs that are determined to support any minors is a calculation of the incomes of both parents and then a fair determination is set as to which parent pays which share of the costs to support the minors.
Unlike child support, Rhode Island alimony may be ordered for a spouse and the consideration is among other things, based on the length of the partnership which in turn may also play into how long you receive or have to pay alimony.
There would have to be a serious change for a court to think about any request to modify the payment order.
Rhode Island alimony payments can be seen as you or your spouse helping the other return to single life from married life and the court is there to decide how much help you will be given or how much you need and the length of time to return to the single lifestyle.
