Alimony: There is a specific statute for alimony which has been the subject of a significant level of caselaw. The alimony statute has a large number of factors, which include the length of marriage, the income of the parties, children, parenting time, the financial needs of both parties, the role of any domestic violence, the marital lifestyle, and other factors. Even a short term marriage can result in a short term of alimony.
Child Support: Child support belongs to the children. Unless the parties agree to a mutual waiver of child support based upon the payment of the children’s expenses in a “shared” manner, the court will analyze and calculate the issues of child support in every case after considering the parenting time schedule, the income of the parties, and other factors.