WASHINGTON Part 26

4.                  What do we need to do to get alimony?

Understanding and Calculating Spousal Maintenance in Washington

Spousal maintenance (alimony) is a payment from one spouse to the other to help lessen the financial hardship that often accompanies divorce. It is meant to assist the more financially-dependent spouse, not to punish a spouse who may have caused the marriage to fail. Either spouse may request maintenance from the other, regardless of how the marriage ended.

A court’s involvement in the process is not always necessary. Many divorcing spouses agree to the amount and length of payments on their own when they complete a divorce agreement. If one spouse wants to receive maintenance payments and can’t get the other to agree, however, a court will have to decide whether to award maintenance and the terms of the obligation.