My ex and I are trying to work out Alimony on our own. He seems to think and says he has been advised by his lawyer and our business’ CPA that he doesn’t have to pay me alimony due to the amount of “debt” that he wants to take on. He’s including our house as a debt and has stated that he is going to sell it as soon as possible. We have a building that the mortage is about 1000 on a month and he collects 400 a month rent on and a business. Does this seem logical?
Also, he wants to pay me alimony for a year and we’ve been married 13 years. Is that right?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
I forgot to mention that I am a SAHM and a student while my kids are in school. So, I am totally dependent on him.
As a SAHM, you should have no difficulty in establishing yourself as the dependent spouse. Such designation is important as you cannot get alimony in NC without being shown to be actually dependent on the supporting spouse. If you have been married for 13 years, 1 year of alimony sounds like not enough time to me. There is no rule in NC about how long alimony should last, but generally it’s a good idea to think of it as lasting half the length of the marriage. In your case, 6 years of alimony wouldn’t be an unlikely result if a judge heard the case. I know you said that you two are trying to work out alimony on your own, but from your post it sounds like he is definitely having an attorney advise him. I think it would be in your best interest, since there is potentially a lot of money at stake, to have a consultation with your own attorney as well. Understand too that this attorney he’s using and the CPA that works for him are looking out for his best interests, not yours.