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Dodd & Dodd Attorneys, PLLC Louisville Kentucky

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Are There Different Types of Maintenance in a Louisville Divorce

The Different Types of Maintenance in a Louisville Divorce

Are there different types of maintenance in a Louisville divorce?  What types of maintenance are provided for in Kentucky Family Law and what is the purpose of each form of maintenance?

Kentucky’s Family Code provides guidance on when maintenance should be considered in a Louisville divorce case as well as the value and duration of the payments. Unlike child support, which has very specific calculations based upon a variety of financial factors, there is no established maintenance calculation under our laws for determining the need for, duration or amount of support.  Generally, maintenance is intended to level the financial playing field between the parties and/or to provide an opportunity for one of the spouses to become financially self-sufficient after the divorce.

There are three different types of maintenance in a Louisville divorce – temporary support, rehabilitative support and permanent support.

Temporary maintenance is ordered in the period between the filing of the divorce and the time it is finalized.  Temporary support is common when one of the parties has no source of income or when there is a substantial disparity in income between the spouses.  Temporary maintenance is usually designed to ensure one of the spouses is not deprived of the financial resources required to support themselves during the course of the divorce.

Another of the different types of maintenance in a Louisville divorce is known as rehabilitative support.  Rehabilitative maintenance is specifically designed to provide one of the spouses with the financial resources required to gain the education, skills or experience necessary to ultimately become self-sufficient after a divorce.  The duration of rehabilitative maintenance is usually shorter in duration and clearly outlined by the Court.

Permanent maintenance orders are generally issued at the conclusion of the divorce process.  It is important not to confuse the term “permanent” with “forever.”  Even permanent maintenance orders can ultimately have a time limit established by the Court.  The amount of permanent maintenance can always be modified later based upon several changes in the status quo such as a substantial change in income for either the payor or recipient, remarriage or cohabitation (in some cases), death, or other factors established by the Court.

Will maintenance be awarded in your divorce case? There are different types of maintenance in a Louisville divorce and it is important to seek the proven advice and counsel of the divorce and family law attorneys at Dodd & Dodd. We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced divorce and family law attorneys.