Germantown, MD asked in Child Support and Divorce for Maryland

Q: My ex-husband has decided unilaterally to reduce alimony payments. What do I do?

His alimony payments are not required under state law, but he agreed to them during our divorce in 2015. He didn't even bother coming to court to state his position. He just signed off on it. He has paid for a couple years and recently decided he doesn't need to anymore and says it's not legally required. What do I do?

Update: He wasn't required to pay alimony under state law (just child support). However, he agreed to it voluntarily. THe court document is a legal agreement...if I take him to court to enforce it though what are my chances of winning? I think the judge would say state law doesn't require it but he agreed to it and we based our life on this agreement and, therefore, he should pay. On the other hand, the judge may say he doesn't need to and I spent all this money on lawyer fees. I don't know what to do

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer

A: If he agreed to it in writing then you should ideally have a valid and enforceable contract. You could sue him for breach of contract or even possibly for contempt if it was reduced to an order. Have a local attorney review your paperwork to determine your best course of action.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.