Alimony Lawyer in Freehold

Over 20 Years Handling Spousal Support in Freehold & Monmouth County

Alimony and spousal support refer to the financial payments made from one spouse to another during and after divorce. The terms are used interchangeably under New Jersey family law. Alimony is handled separately from equitable distribution: rather than dividing marital property, it addresses income disparity between spouses and is designed to allow both parties to maintain a standard of living reasonably comparable to what they shared during the marriage.

I’m Ryan E. Gilbert. I’ve represented clients in alimony and spousal support cases in Freehold and throughout Monmouth County for over 20 years. My firm uses modern legal technology so you have direct access to me and can view your electronic case files at any time. Call Law Offices of Ryan E. Gilbert, LLC at (732) 391-6563 to get started with a consultation.

Types of Alimony in New Jersey

The New Jersey Alimony Reform Act of 2014 eliminated permanent alimony and replaced it with open durational alimony, which has no fixed end date and is generally reserved for marriages of 20 years or more. For marriages shorter than 20 years, alimony duration generally may not exceed the length of the marriage under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23. New Jersey also has a specific rule regarding “double dipping”: if retirement benefits are treated as assets during equitable distribution, they can’t also be used as a basis for calculating alimony.

Types of alimony currently available in New Jersey include:

• Pendente lite alimony: awarded temporarily during divorce proceedings to maintain the financial status quo until a final judgment is entered.
• Open durational alimony: replaces permanent alimony; no fixed end date, with a rebuttable presumption that it ends when the paying spouse reaches full retirement age.
• Limited duration alimony: payable for a defined period, commonly awarded in shorter-term marriages to allow the recipient to reach financial independence.
• Rehabilitative alimony: supports a spouse who needs education or job training to re-enter the workforce; the requesting spouse must present a plan with steps, timeline, and anticipated employment.
• Reimbursement alimony: compensates a spouse who financially supported the other through advanced education or professional training.

Depending on the circumstances of your case, I can help you determine which type of alimony applies and how to approach it effectively.

Factors That Determine Alimony in New Jersey

New Jersey courts have broad discretion in alimony determinations. There are no fixed guidelines equivalent to child support calculations, which makes the quality of your legal representation material to the outcome. New Jersey statute identifies 14 specific factors courts must consider when deciding whether to award alimony and in what amount. As your spousal support attorney in Freehold, I know how these factors interact and can help you build a case grounded in the specifics of your marriage.

Factors that may influence an alimony determination include:

• Length of the marriage
• Income and earning capacity of each spouse
• Standard of living during the marriage
• Age and health of each spouse
• Contributions to the marriage, both financial and non-financial
• Child custody arrangements
• Time the recipient was absent from the job market and the cost to obtain education or retraining
• Tax consequences of the proposed award
• Any prenuptial or postnuptial agreements

Because outcomes turn on how these factors apply to your specific situation, experienced representation isn’t just helpful. It’s consequential. Schedule your consultation today.

Contact us at (732) 391-6563 or through our website to get in touch.