Being married to a high income partner means you do not have to worry about maintaining your standard of living. Now that your marriage is coming to an end, you have to think about how you will earn a living going forward. While alimony may help you sustain a reasonable standard of living in your post-marriage life, it might also help you get a better paying job.
New Jersey law determines alimony based upon a number of individual factors. Some of these factors relate to your ability to seek employment.
Your job skills after marriage
If you depended on the income of your spouse during your marriage, you may have spent a lot of time out of the job market. Now that you are on your own, you will probably want to find a job. However, you may not have the skills to be competitive with other applicants for higher paying jobs.
New Jersey law takes your earning capacity, educational level and job skills into account when awarding alimony, as well as how long you have spent out of the job market. This may help you maintain a reasonable standard of living, particularly if you have children to care for. However, alimony may also assist you by helping you learn and develop new job skills.
Alimony may finance your education
Attending college or vocational classes could help you build up your job skills so you can compete for higher income jobs. According to state law, the time and expenses you need to educate yourself to find suitable employment is a factor in determining alimony. This is something to consider as you negotiate for support in your divorce settlement.
You might choose to make your education a priority in the first few years following your divorce. If so, you may help fulfill your goals by trading physical assets to your spouse in exchange for additional support. Consider working out a plan for you to attain whatever degree you need so that you can apply for a job you think will sustain you and your children.
