Question:
I cohabit with my girlfriend and our children, and she has increasingly threatened to take me to court in order to force me to pay child support and spousal support to help with the bills.
Do state alimony laws allow for individuals who cohabit to ask for spousal support when they are not married?
Answer:
I am unable to give you legal advice on divorce. I can give general divorce help for men, though, my knowledge is based on Nebraska and Iowa alimony laws where I am licensed to practice.
Many times this depends on the laws of your state and the requisite information necessary to find a common law relationship. Each state is different and not every state has common law or cohabitation support.
If your state allows support for non-married individuals, then the answer to your question would be “it depends.”
Some states, such as the ones I practice in, take into account the length of the marriage/cohabitation, the ability of the individual requesting alimony to support themselves, and the division of the expenses of children in your child support calculations.
Further, each state has its own child support calculations and would determine the same from the applicable standards and your proportionate incomes and the custodial arrangement.
Remember, I am unable to provide you with anything more than divorce tips for men, so please consult with a divorce lawyer in your jurisdiction.
To arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Omaha, Nebraska Divorce Lawyer Jamie Kinkaid, contact Cordell & Cordell.
Citizen
I realize this is a legal website, but it seems the lawyers contributing should at least tell people like this that they might want to consider the moral aspects of their cases. In this case, the complainant has a moral obligation to take care of his children. The fact that he is questioning whether he is legally obligated says a lot about his character. I hope he loses this argument.