how is alimony determined
Answer: Ability to Pay: The first consideration when settling a spouseâs alimony obligation would be the ability to pay alimony. The court looks at the spouses gross income and reduces it by subtracting all mandatory deductions to come up with the net income. Mandatory deductions are things like income taxes, social security and health care.
If the court orders a spouse to pay a large portion o the marital debts, it often reduces the amount of alimony that the spouse is ordered to pay. Courts will not only take into consideration the amount of financial support given during a marriage but, also the amount of emotional support.