Sparta, NJ asked in Divorce for New Jersey

Q: 18mth phys sep NJ, wife of 8yr, payin 150/mth based on verbal.Wil I hav 2pay mor once divorced? I make 2x’s mor then her

I have been physically separated in NJ for 18 months, paying $150/month to my wife of 8 years. I want to file for divorce. Will I likely have to pay much more than that in alimony since my wife has been able to live with her income plus my $150/month I have been paying her without financial hardship? My concern, even though I do make almost twice as much as her, that once I go thru with a divorce, the court will recommend/order that I pay significantly more, even though my wife has been able to again, maintain her living based off of my $150 monthly contribution. She moved out of the marital residence 18 months ago, to which I am paying all the bills for here and has been renting her own apartment during the 18 months.

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2 Lawyer Answers

A: Your questions and concerns require an in person consultation with an experienced matrimonial attorney. There are numerous factors that the Court will consider, but your case is extremely unlikely to go to trial. If both you and your not yet ex-wife retain counsel, a settlement agreement can be negotiated. Significantly more factual information is required and that would be far beyond the scope of this forum.

A: There is no precise calculation the courts use to set alimony payments. Rather, the courts use a series of factors to consider when deciding on whether to award alimony and how much alimony to award. You should consider having a free consultation with a family law attorney to obtain more information on this question, as there are many facts we would need to know before advising you whether we think the alimony would stay the same or increase.

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