Egg Harbor Township Spousal Support Attorney

Clear Guidance for New Jersey Alimony Matters

Alimony can become one of the biggest financial concerns during or after a divorce. One spouse may worry about maintaining financial stability after years of relying on the other’s income, while the other may be concerned about how a support obligation will affect the cost of maintaining a separate household.

New Jersey does not automatically award alimony because one person earns more. Courts consider the circumstances of the marriage and factors such as actual need and ability to pay, earning capacity, marriage length, health, parental responsibilities, marital lifestyle, and the financial circumstances of both spouses.

Bonnie Putterman brings more than 30 years of family law experience to people seeking alimony and those being asked to pay it. Call (609) 625-8383 to schedule a free, confidential consultation with Putterman Legal.

How New Jersey Courts Evaluate Spousal Support

New Jersey’s alimony statute, N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23, requires courts to consider multiple factors before making an award. There is no universal percentage or simple calculation that determines whether support will be ordered or how much someone will pay.

Income is only one part of that analysis. Courts may consider the standard of living established during the marriage, each person’s earning capacity and employment history, age and health, parental responsibilities, education, time away from the workforce, contributions to the marriage, property received through equitable distribution, investment income, and other relevant circumstances.

That means two couples with similar incomes or marriages of similar length can still have very different outcomes. An Egg Harbor Township spousal support attorney can help identify which factors are most important in your situation and what information may be needed to support your position.

Types of Alimony Available in New Jersey

New Jersey recognizes four types of alimony: open durational, limited duration, rehabilitative, and reimbursement alimony. More than one type may be awarded when appropriate, and each serves a different purpose.

• Open durational alimony does not have a predetermined termination date, although it remains subject to New Jersey’s rules governing duration, modification, retirement, and other changed circumstances.
• Limited-duration alimony provides support for a defined period. It may be appropriate when the circumstances support temporary financial assistance rather than an open-ended obligation.
• Rehabilitative alimony can provide support while a person pursues education, training, or work experience intended to improve earning ability. The underlying plan may address the steps and timeframe needed to work toward greater financial independence.
• Reimbursement alimony may address certain economic contributions one spouse made toward the other’s education or career development during the marriage.

What Affects the Amount of Alimony

There is no standard New Jersey formula that automatically determines an alimony payment. The amount depends on the financial circumstances of the particular marriage.

A large difference in income may be important, but it does not answer every question. Household expenses, earning potential, employment history, health, childcare responsibilities, assets, debts, and the marital standard of living may all affect the analysis.

Financial documentation is therefore important in many cases. Tax returns, pay records, bank statements, retirement accounts, business records, household budgets, and other information may help establish income, expenses, assets, and the economic circumstances of both people.

How Long Alimony Can Last

Marriage length is important when determining the duration of support, but there is no rule awarding one year of alimony for every year a couple was married.

For marriages lasting less than 20 years, New Jersey law generally provides that the total duration of alimony should not exceed the length of the marriage unless exceptional circumstances exist. The court must still consider the statutory factors when deciding the appropriate length and amount.

Exceptional circumstances can change that analysis. Rather than assuming how long an obligation will last based only on the wedding and separation dates, the broader circumstances should be evaluated.

Alimony and Property Division Are Connected

Financial decisions during a divorce should not be considered separately from one another. Property division, debts, retirement accounts, housing expenses, available income, and alimony can all affect what each person can realistically afford after the marriage ends.

New Jersey law specifically includes the effect of equitable distribution and income available from investments among the factors relevant to alimony. Business ownership or other complex assets may require additional analysis when determining the larger financial picture.

A proposed settlement should therefore be evaluated as a whole. Focusing exclusively on the monthly support number can overlook other terms that may have a significant long-term financial effect.

Modifying an Existing Alimony Order

Life can look very different several years after a divorce. A significant employment change, reduction in income, disability, retirement, or another change in circumstances may raise questions about whether an existing support obligation should be reviewed.

New Jersey courts can revise alimony orders when legally sufficient changed circumstances exist. However, experiencing a financial change does not automatically alter the existing obligation.

Someone who can no longer afford an existing payment should not simply stop paying it. Likewise, someone receiving support should not assume that a change affecting the other person’s finances automatically ends the obligation. The existing order and the circumstances surrounding the requested modification should be reviewed first.

Retirement Can Affect Alimony

Retirement has its own rules under New Jersey alimony law. Reaching retirement age does not mean someone should simply stop complying with an existing support order.

The statute addresses both actual and prospective retirement and includes a rebuttable presumption that alimony terminates when the person paying support reaches full retirement age. That presumption can be challenged based on the statutory factors and circumstances of the parties.

Retiring before full retirement age requires a different analysis. Timing, finances, the reason for retirement, and other circumstances may become relevant when determining whether support should be modified or terminated.

Cohabitation Can Change a Support Obligation

A new relationship does not automatically end alimony. However, New Jersey law allows support to be suspended or terminated when the person receiving alimony cohabits with someone else under the statutory standard.

Courts may examine intertwined finances, shared living expenses, household responsibilities, the duration and nature of the relationship, economic support, and how the relationship is recognized within the couple’s family and social circle. Living together full-time is not required for a court to find cohabitation.

Someone seeking to change support based on cohabitation must have evidence supporting the claim. New Jersey courts require an appropriate preliminary showing before discovery into the former spouse’s relationship and finances is permitted.

Parenting Responsibilities and Alimony

Alimony and child support are different obligations with different legal standards. Parenting responsibilities can still affect the financial circumstances considered in an alimony case.

For example, a child custody and parenting time arrangement may affect someone’s work schedule, childcare responsibilities, transportation costs, or ability to pursue certain employment opportunities. New Jersey’s alimony statute specifically includes parental responsibilities for children among the factors courts consider.

This connection is important, but it does not make child support and alimony interchangeable. Each issue requires its own analysis.

Domestic Violence and Financial Issues During Divorce

Domestic violence can create additional legal and financial concerns at the end of a marriage. Restraining-order proceedings may occur alongside a matrimonial case and can affect living arrangements, communication, and other immediate issues.

Rather than assuming allegations of abuse automatically produce a particular alimony result, the specific facts and applicable New Jersey law need to be considered. Safety issues may also affect whether ordinary negotiation or mediation is appropriate.

When multiple proceedings overlap, legal decisions in one matter should be considered alongside the obligations and restrictions created in the other.

Building the Financial Picture in an Alimony Case

Support disputes often turn on detailed financial information rather than broad statements about who earns more. Tax returns, pay stubs, bank and investment statements, retirement records, employment histories, household budgets, and other documents may all become relevant.

The analysis can become more complicated when someone owns a business, is self-employed, receives commissions or bonuses, has investment income, or experiences significant fluctuations in earnings. Questions may also arise about earning capacity when one person believes the other is voluntarily earning less than reasonably possible.

Bonnie can help clients determine which information is important and where additional documentation may be needed. A well-developed financial record can support meaningful settlement discussions and provide evidence when a contested issue must be presented to the court.

Settlement and Mediation for Alimony Disputes

Many support disagreements are resolved without a trial. Negotiation or family mediation may allow spouses to address the amount, duration, modification terms, and other financial issues while retaining more control over the outcome.

Settlement can also provide flexibility. The parties may be able to negotiate terms that reflect their particular finances and priorities rather than leaving every unresolved issue for a judge.

Not every case is suited for settlement, however. Significant disagreements about income, hidden financial information, safety concerns, or unreasonable positions may require litigation. The strategy should reflect the facts rather than assuming every alimony dispute needs the same approach.

Bonnie Putterman’s Family Law Experience

Bonnie Putterman has more than 30 years of experience handling family law matters in South Jersey. Her work includes divorce, alimony, child-related issues, marital finances, mediation, and contested proceedings.

Bonnie is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Mediator and has also served as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem, certified parenting coordinator, and panelist for Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels. These roles provide experience with both the financial disagreements and family dynamics that can arise during matrimonial cases.

Putterman Legal is located in Mays Landing and represents clients in Egg Harbor Township and throughout Atlantic County. Bonnie works with people seeking support, as well as those responding to an alimony request or seeking changes to an existing obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Alimony in New Jersey

Is alimony automatic when one spouse earns more?

No. An income difference can be relevant, but it does not automatically create an alimony obligation. New Jersey courts must consider the statutory factors and make findings based on the evidence presented. Need and ability to pay are important parts of the analysis, along with marriage length, marital lifestyle, earning capacity, health, parental responsibilities, and other circumstances.

What role does the marital standard of living play in alimony?

The standard of living established during the marriage is one of the factors New Jersey law requires courts to consider. The statute recognizes that both parties are entitled to consideration of a reasonably comparable standard of living, with neither having a greater entitlement simply because they are the person paying or receiving support. That does not guarantee that two separate households can maintain exactly the same lifestyle the couple had while living together. The practical cost of maintaining separate residences is also part of the analysis.

Are temporary support payments the same as a final alimony award?

Not necessarily. Temporary support may be ordered while a matrimonial case is pending to address immediate financial needs before the final issues have been resolved. A temporary arrangement should not automatically be treated as proof of what the final alimony award will be. The full financial record and applicable statutory factors still need to be considered when permanent terms are determined.

How are rehabilitative and reimbursement alimony different?

Rehabilitative alimony is intended to support a plan for education, training, or work experience that can improve someone’s earning ability. Reimbursement alimony addresses certain economic contributions made by one spouse toward the other’s education or career development. The purpose of each is different, and the facts of the marriage determine whether either form is appropriate.

Can alimony change if I lose my job?

Possibly. A meaningful and continuing change in employment or income can raise a modification issue, but losing a job does not automatically eliminate an existing support obligation. The circumstances surrounding the income change and the finances of both parties may need to be reviewed. Until an existing order is modified, it remains important to comply with its terms.

Does remarriage end alimony in New Jersey?

The remarriage of the person receiving alimony generally terminates alimony under New Jersey law, subject to the applicable order and circumstances. Cohabitation is treated differently and requires analysis under the statutory cohabitation factors. If either situation arises, the existing judgment or agreement should be reviewed rather than assuming when payments should stop.

What should I bring to an alimony consultation?

You do not need a perfectly organized financial file before speaking with an attorney. If available, recent tax returns, pay records, existing support orders, information about major assets and debts, and a general picture of household expenses can provide a useful starting point. Cases involving businesses, variable income, retirement, or an existing modification dispute may require additional records later. The first consultation can help identify what actually matters before you spend hours gathering documents you may not need.

What to Expect When You Contact Putterman Legal

Start with what is happening now. You may be considering divorce and wondering whether alimony will become an issue, responding to a support request, struggling with an existing payment, approaching retirement, or concerned about a former spouse’s cohabitation.

Bonnie can review the circumstances, explain which New Jersey alimony rules may apply, and identify the information that would help clarify the situation. From there, the next step might involve gathering financial records, negotiating proposed terms, mediation, filing an application with the court, or responding to an existing proceeding.

The goal is to understand the financial problem before choosing a strategy to address it.

Talk With an Egg Harbor Township Alimony Lawyer

Whether you are seeking support, being asked to pay it, or dealing with an existing alimony order, the decisions involved can affect your finances for years. Understanding how New Jersey law applies to your income, marriage, assets, and changing circumstances can help you make informed choices.

Bonnie Putterman brings more than 30 years of family law experience to alimony and other financial issues arising during and after divorce. Putterman Legal represents clients in Egg Harbor Township, Mays Landing, and throughout Atlantic County.

Call (609) 625-8383 or contact Putterman Legal to schedule a free, confidential consultation.