Source: http://divorceinfo.com/txalimony.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 04:22:03+00:00

Document:
This is a description of alimony (called “maintenance”) in Texas from Jimmy Verner, a family lawyer at Verner, Brumley, Mueller Parker in Dallas. He’s been kind enough to allow me to share it with you.
How do you get maintenance?
September 1, 1995 – applies to suits brought on or after effective date. Caveat: [The Act] does not apply to an action filed on or before January 1, 1997, if a prior suit for dissolution of a marriage between the parties was nonsuited by the spouse seeking maintenance on or after January 1, 1995, and on or before August 31, 1995.
H.B. 1863, Acts of 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.
(a) It is the intent of the legislature in this article to provide spousal maintenance primarily as a temporary rehabilitative measure for a divorced spouse whose ability for self-support is lacking or has deteriorated through the passage of time while the spouse was engaged in homemaking activities and whose capital assets are insufficient to provide support.
(b) It is the intent of the legislature in this article that spousal support should be terminated in the shortest reasonable time, not to exceed three years, in which the former spouse is able to be employed or to acquire the necessary skills to become self-supporting. Only in circumstances in which the former spouse cannot become self-supporting by reason of incapacitating physical or mental disability should maintenance be extended beyond this period.
“Maintenance” means an award in a divorce, annulment, or suit to declare a marriage void of periodic payments from the future income of one spouse for the support of the other spouse.
1. persons whose spouses committed crimes that also qualify as family violence for protective order purposes.
(B) during the pendency of the suit.
2. spouses in ten-year marriages who can’t support themselves.
(C) clearly lacks earning ability in the labor market adequate to provide support for the spouse’s minimum reasonable needs, as limited by Section 3.9605.
(2) developing the necessary skills to become self-supporting during any period of separation and during the pendency of the divorce suit.
The lesser of $2500 per month or 20% of the spouse’ average monthly gross income per month. Family Code § 3.9606(a).
The court is supposed to provide for the “minimum reasonable needs” of the spouse receiving maintenance, considering that spouse’s employment or property received in the divorce or otherwise owned that contributes to meeting the spouse’s minimum reasonable needs. Family Code § 3.9606(b).
VA disability payments, social security, and workmen’s comp are excluded from maintenance. Family Code § 3.9606(c).
Three years max, unless the former spouse receiving maintenance is unable to support himself because of incapacitating physical or mental disability, in which case indefinitely. Family Code § 3.9605.
Maintenance terminates on the death of either party and upon the remarriage of the party receiving maintenance. Family Code § 3.9607(a).
Maintenance also terminates “if the party receiving maintenance cohabits with another person in a permanent place of abode on a continuing, conjugal basis.” A hearing is required. Family Code § 3.9607(b).
The copyright notice below would give you the impression that the material on this page belongs to me. It doesn’t. It belongs to Jimmy Verner, a lawyer at Verner & Brumley in Dallas who has agreed to allow me to share it with you.

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