Regarding alimony, a prospective client wants to know how much he/she will be paying or how much he/she will be receiving. The initial answer should always be, “It depends.” The Court looks at 16 possible factors that relate to the amount of alimony awarded. As paraphrased from NCGS 50-16.3A they include: (2) The relative earnings
Alimony can be awarded for a specified time or for an indefinite period, to be determined in the discretion of the Court. There are no hard and fast rules for determining the period as the alimony statute does not provide term guidelines. For years, attorneys in North Carolina have used the “One for Two Rule
Prior to October 1, 1995 alimony was based on fault. A dependent spouse had to prove the supporting spouse committed adultery, was an abuser of alcohol or drugs, was violent, abandoned the innocent spouse or in other ways made his or her condition unbearable and intolerable. Since that date a spouse is entitled to alimony