Divorce is a relatively common occurrence in the lives of Arizona residents, and some individuals who choose to end their marriages decide later on that they would like to remarry for a second or even third time. As long as a person’s prior marriage is legally ended before their subsequent union is forged their marriage may be legal, though obligations that existed between a person and their former spouse may be altered due to the one’s remarriage. One of those obligations that may be impacted by remarriage is alimony.
As previously discussed on this blog, alimony, also called spousal support, is the payment of financial support from one formerly married person to their ex. Alimony can endure for various lengths of time and the amount and duration of an alimony award will be based on factors specific to the individual’s marriage.
When the recipient of alimony remarries, it is likely that the money they receive from their ex will no longer be necessary. This is because the recipient will have the support of their new spouse to care for them and their former spouse no longer should be liable for their welfare. However, when the payer of alimony remarries their obligation to support a former spouse may continue despite their new union.
As with other family law matters, alimony obligations are often case-specific and the details of how and when an alimony award may be terminated should be included in a party’s court-approved agreement or order. To better understand how remarriage may affect one’s alimony award, readers are advised to speak to our Chandler alimony attorneys to receive legal guidance that is relevant to their particular needs.