Kansas City Spousal Support Attorney 

Experienced Representation for Spousal Maintenance Cases in Kansas & Missouri

Whether you are seeking spousal support or disputing the necessity of paying it to your spouse, it is important that you have an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer who can protect your rights and advocate for the best possible outcome. Temporary spousal support is support received by a party during the pendency, while a divorce case is pending. Courts in Kansas or Missouri may award temporary spousal maintenance or spousal support to allow a spouse to meet their needs while a divorce case is pending, waiting resolution through a trial or while the parties are negotiating terms of settlement through a marital settlement agreement.

The amount of temporary support that courts in Kansas and Missouri will typically award depends on considerations of both, need for the spouse receiving the maintenance, as well as on the ability to pay for the spouse paying the spousal support. Whether you are asking for spousal support or defending the necessity of paying support, don’t try to address these issues on your own without a knowledgeable, experienced advocate.

Understanding Judicial Maintenance

Spousal Maintenance in Missouri and Kansas will be awarded based on a variety of factors and considerations including the length of the marriage, the reasonable needs of the spouse seeking maintenance, the standard of living established during the marriage, the ability of the spouse paying maintenance, whether each spouse has significant income-producing property and assets, the income-earning capacity of the spouse receiving maintenance, the lifestyle of the family, whether the spouse seeking maintenance has been the primary care provider for the children and other general considerations such as the parties’ health and educational level.

Advocating for Your Financial Independence

Spousal support is an issue that can affect your life long after your divorce is finalized. Whether you are seeking an initial support order, an alimony modification or enforcement of a spousal support order that is already in place, expert guidance from someone who understands New Jersey spousal support law inside and out can be priceless.

In both Kansas and Missouri, parties can enter into contractual alimony agreements that may benefit both parties. There are particular benefits to this approach when the parties have high net worth estates or complicated or complex asset situations. Unlike spousal support ordered through a court, contractual maintenance or spousal support is not ordered by a judge; it must be agreed on by both parties. 

It can be used at times to address unique tax strategies or to accomplish complex property division, particularly in the circumstance of businesses or other non-liquid assets that must be fairly and equitably divided but where the spouse who owes an equalization payment lacks liquid cash to fund a settlement payment. 

Duration of Maintenance Payments in Kansas & Missouri 

In Kansas, maintenance is often calculated through a formula. In Missouri, the length of time for maintenance payments is often subject to the agreement of the parties or the judge’s determination. In Missouri, there are times that the court awards “open ended” maintenance and the burden is on the spouse paying maintenance to return to the court in the future, when changed circumstances exist to seek a modification or termination of the maintenance amount paid. Working with a knowledgeable, experienced and skilled family law attorney is key to make sure that you are not paying maintenance for a longer period than necessary and if you are receiving maintenance, it is crucial that you have an advocate ensuring that you receive maintenance for the period you are entitled to.

Contact Our Kansas City Spousal Support Lawyer Today

Contact Pingel Family Law for guidance regarding support matters. Our attorneys provide representation to clients throughout Kansas, Missouri, the Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond.

Do you want to assess the probability of an award of you paying or receiving maintenance, depending on your circumstances? Receiving too little or paying too much could create long-term financial hardships as you’re trying to build your new future. Please reach out to Pingel Family Law today to schedule a consultation to get some expert feedback about the factors that will affect your anticipated payment or receipt of spousal support. Call us today at (816) 208-8130.