What are your Spousal Support options in a Divorce?

I need to request the courts for a reduced order for child and spousal support that I pay to my ex-husband and I do not know what forms to use. I live is San Diego, California - does your company carry these forms and if so what are they called. My income has dropped by 2/3rds since our settlement.

My ex wife and I divorced five years ago (Michigan). She was granted spousal support for five years ($400/month) which ended in September, 2010 and approximately $35,000 of my retirement. To make up for $400 which ended, she tried to get child support increased by that amount but with the formula used now vs. five years ago, she was only granted a slight increase. Now, she is seeking an extension on spousal support for three more years. The hearing is October 18. Can she get an extension, when in fact, the court order ended, so technically, an extension is not the correct terminology. She only worked briefly after the divorce and has not been employed since. Her unemployment benefits have expired and though attending a community college and working a college work study she has no other income. I will always support my children, even past the age of 18, but supporting her lifestyle when she could easily get a part-time job to make up the difference of a few hundred dollars a month I do not want to do. I am finally able to pay down some of my debt and want to make a persuasive argument. I am going to take pay stubs, copies of my bills, etc. but can you offer any other advice? Five years was enough.

I live in Boone County, Illinois. I was divorced in Winnebago County, Illinois.
I have been paying child support since January 5, 1999.
My second oldest son with my ex-wife is 18 years old and is graduating from High School May 25, 2011.
Do you have a sample form I can use to petition the court for statutory termination of child support?

I live in Washington State. I am wondering if there is some sort of spousal support "schedule" that I can go by to determine how much of spousal support should be paid (like there is for child support)?

My ex is ordered to pay what the judge termed a "token" amount of spousal support that the judge said would be greatly increased if I came back to court. I live in Sacramento and the divorce is in San Diego. I am disabled, my only other income is SSI and cannot afford to pay to get to San Diego and rent a motel room while there. He is now on unemployment, but is remarried and his wife earns a very good salary on job 1 plus works a part time job. She has one minor child who lives with them, another daughter who is over 18 and lives at her college. He has been late for 6 months now and will not use "her" income to pay me - he claims each month that EDD has not processed his claims. He has not applied for employment at places he would possibly been hired. He is waiting until UE runs out then will be eligible to begin using his retirement fund. We put more into that fund and none into one for me as his was potentially going to provide a much higher income. I am willing to continue the $300 a month support IF he could be made to pay it every month and ensure it arrives on or before the date it is due. Do I have any options to force that? If I have to go to court to ensure this continues I will then request a higher amount as his income with his wife's less valid expense for the 17 year old daughter is about 5 times what my SSI income is. And I will request a 50% share of his retirement as we were married exactly 26 year and six months. He was also abusive and our "legal court file" includes 3 TROs and the documentation proving abuse. What are my options? I do not wish to make "waves" but his being up to 3 1/2 weeks late costs me late charges for my monthly financial matters and forces me to go without items such as 3 meals a day, a hospital bed needed to support my fractured lower spine, a blood pressure monitor and accurate digital scale to monitor the congestive heart failure I have been in for the past year. I have phone and internet service, gas and lights, rent but no entertainment possibilities nor do I have TV service. Those have become unaffordable due to the irregularity of receiving my income when expected. TY in advance.

Do You have the legal separation forms ....Have mutal agreement on all household items each will keep. No real estate is involved.

hi legalzoom,

i want to file a modification to eliminate or greatly reduce the alimony i pay my ex-spouse. i wonder if u have forms i could use (and examples i could follow. thi swill take place in norfolk county massachusetts. two reasons i want to stress in my modification to th ecourt are my reduced income and hardship in making my alimony oayments since my only income now is a social security disability of $2400 per month of which $950 gors toward alimony. a the time of divorce my salaried income was $7,400 per month. the other reason is that my ex-spouse cohabitates (and has for almost a year now).

if u have examples i can follow and forms i can use i would greatly appreciate it since i want to underscore the 'changes in circumstances' and want to get it right the first time.

thanks legalzoom --- anthony.

Am 61 permanently disabled, married 18 years, raised 3 kids, received 3 years 5 months of minimum SS. Now ex says "he's disabled" and cannot work as a General Contractor. Never worked with the tools last 15 years and runs job sights out of office. Cohabitating with fiance who earns $4,000 per month; I know I have no right to any of her money, but if the courts can reduce or terminate my SS if I was cohabitating, for those reasons, isn't my ex in the same situation? He's, in essence, being taken care of by the higher wage earner? Also, ex put on an OSC to terminate all support from date of Final in 2003, all arrearages, set aside the Abstract, contempt charges and surrneder; every single one he has not complied with. Wrote lie after lie after lie in his moving papers. Do judges read and truy to prove which one is telling the truth? He's carismatic, and quite convincing...help me.

Hi I am recently going through a divorce my X eas awarded 1000 a month in child support and 1300 a month in spousal support off my groose income. He has tbe children everyother weekend and thats it. I cannot make.these payments my take home income is less than my groose by a lot so ny children and i are forced to move again into an apartment to be able to pay him. What can i do to get this reduced?? We are defibently not livibg in thr same fashio. As we were oh and he has no job and refuses to obtain one. I am at a loss.

I'm wanting to find out if there is some kind of document that I can use on my own without hiring a lawyer to try and get my ex husband held in contempt of court for not paying me the money he was ordered to pay in our divoce decree. It's been over a year since our divorce was final. The money is owed for his past medical bills and for part of a home equity loan repayment. Any suggestions? Thank you!

If both parties agree to not using alimony will the courts allow a clean separation in California?

Once a non contested divorce is final can the spouse come back & ask for alimony? This is in North Carolina.