Can I Change an Alimony Agreement?

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Family Law on Tuesday January 16th, 2023.

Alimony, also known as spousal maintenance or spousal support, is the funds a spouse is obligated to provide to the other spouse after divorce. Alimony is different from child support in many ways. The reason is that you can change the authority of the court over the amount of support you will provide. In the case of child custody, the court can make modifications to the agreement.

Requesting Alimony Modifications After Divorce

There are many situations under which a person may request a modification in alimony. Under certain circumstances, the court accepts the modification. Such circumstances can be due to any financial emergency, bankruptcy, etc. Financial emergencies can be in the form of substantial medical bills that a party has to pay because they are not covered by insurance.

Make sure that if you request a change in spousal support, you must have a legitimate reason for it. If there is no proper evidence behind your request, it will only lead to a waste of money, time, and resources. A simple complaint that you are not receiving enough funds or you suddenly feel like you are paying too much will not convince the court to follow through with the modification.

Apart from that, there are circumstances under which spousal support can be terminated. It is only possible if the receiving spouse starts living with another partner who is providing more than the previous partner. In that case, the dependent spouse no longer needs financial support from the previous spouse.

Another situation under which spousal support can be terminated is if the receiving spouse remarries. The spousal support agreement is immediately removed when the receiving spouse remarries because they are not dependent anymore. An alimony agreement also gets terminated by the court if one of the spouses dies.Change in the alimony agreement can be requested based on two conditions. Either there is a significant change in the income of the giving spouse or a significant change in the needs of the receiving spouse. Either way, proper evidence and a fact-based request are required to convince the court to proceed with the hearings.

A Guide to Lawsuit-proofing your Estate Plan

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Estate Planning on Tuesday January 17th, 2023.

Many people plan their estate for their heirs beforehand so that their assets are distributed equally. However, planning beforehand does not ensure that your estate plan will stay protected from lawsuits. With the help of a proper estate planning attorney, you must ensure that your estate plan is devised correctly and cannot be questioned based on any injustice or illegal activity.

How to Lawsuit-Proof Your Estate Plan

Some of the ways to lawsuit-proof your estate plan are listed below.

Treat Siblings Equally

You have to treat all the heirs equally when formulating your estate plan. You attract legal constraints when you cut off an heir or your sibling from the estate plan. Even if you have kids from second or third marriages, you must research and abide by all the laws regarding the distribution of your estate.

Keep Track of Loans and Advances

Loans and debts can lead to many complications if not appropriately stated. If you loan money to one of your heirs, you have to decide beforehand if you want it to be repaid or discharged at your death. Make sure to put your decision in writing or in contract form.

Transfer Business with a Contract

When deciding what to transfer to your siblings or children, you often decide that the businesses are distributed to different children accordingly. When handing over a business to someone, make sure it is in contract form. Carry out the process with written signatures and proof of the transfer.

Check Ownership of What you Leave

When you are leaving your children a part of your estate in your estate plan, make sure you have complete ownership of those assets. At times, due to jointly owned property, there can be confusion regarding the ownership and how the property or assets will be inherited.

Spell Out Disinheritance

If you are excluding any child of ours from the estate plan willingly, make sure you write it clearly in the estate plan. If you do not mention the disinheritance, you can face legal concerns regarding why the legal heir was not included in the will.