Alimony and Spousal Maintenance in Hawaii – Oahu

Honolulu HI Alimony and Divorce Lawyers – Family Law Attorneys

When you start to look for information about how to go about seeking a divorce in the state of Hawaii, you will often see that the issue of possible reconciliation is always stressed first. Emotions can run high at times when a marriage is under strain, and this can lead to the feeling that a divorce is the only option left. The truth is that divorce is the best option for some couples, but it is a last resort, and there are many things to consider before taking that step. One of them is how severely your quality of life will be impacted by the divorce. The marriage is a partnership on many different levels, and this is something that needs to be taken into account.

These days many if not most couples each contribute a share of the total income that supports the family, so when a divorce takes place, both individuals have to be prepared to move on without that additional contribution to the household budget. The state of Hawaii allows for alimony, or what is now more commonly called spousal support or spousal maintenance, in some instances to address financial need that may exist for one of the former partners. This is a payment made by one former partner, deemed the supporting spouse, to the other, who is designated the dependent spouse for the purposes of this legal action. The spousal maintenance payment can be permanent and ongoing, or temporary and intended to assist the dependent spouse for a period of time while he or she gets on firm enough financial footing to become self supporting.

There are states that allow divorce on the ground of fault, and in these states if a divorce is granted due to the marital misconduct of one of the individuals involved (fault in this context can be actions like adultery, abandonment, or abuse) this can impact spousal maintenance decisions made by the court. However, Hawaii is a no-fault divorce state, so the actions of the couple while they were married are not considered to be relevant when the court decides on a spousal maintenance matter.

If you would like to know more about alimony or spousal maintenance, simply contact a Honolulu HI divorce lawyer for a free consultation.