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Four Things That May Trigger Permanent Alimony Termination

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Permanent alimony doesn't mean that the payments are destined to last forever come-rain-or-sunshine; it just means the payments will continue for as long as the present conditions hold. This means permanent alimony may be terminated if the circumstances change. Here are some circumstances that can trigger the termination:

You Are Suddenly and Involuntarily Unemployed

A substantial loss of income may allow you to terminate alimony payments, but you will need to prove that the loss is both involuntary and long-term. For example, you may not be allowed to terminate alimony payments if your employer sends on you on a three-month leave without pay during an internal investigation of your office. However, you may be able to terminate alimony if you are permanently paralyzed after a car accident.

Your Former Spouse Has Received a Financial Windfall

It is not just a change in your financial situation that can lead to alimony termination; even a change in your former spouse's finances may trigger the termination. This is usually the case if our spouse's finances suddenly improve putting them into an equal or better financial position with you.  A good example is if your ex-spouse inherits a thriving business from their relatives or sells their initially struggling business at a huge profit.

Your Former Spouse Has Remarried

Remarriage is usually one of the most automatic payments of stopping alimony payments whether or not it is permanent alimony. The rationale here is that your former spouse's new partner will support them financially so your support is no longer necessary. In fact, you can use any financially supporting relationship (not just marriage), such as cohabitation, to trigger the termination – it all depends on your state's laws. The only problem is that proving such relationships is not easy, especially if your ex-partner doesn't want you to know about it.

An Event Has Triggered a Relevant Clause in Your Prenup

Lastly, you may also be allowed to stop paying alimony if it is in accordance with a legally binding prenuptial agreement (prenup). Consider an example of a prenup clause that allows either of you to stop paying alimony if the difference between your respective earnings falls to within a certain margin. If that happens even years after your divorce, you can still use the prenup as a basis for seeking to terminate your alimony payments.

Do you wish to terminate permanent alimony? Talk with a company that specializes in family law services today to examine your circumstances and determine whether it is possible.   


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