How long do you have to become self sufficient after maintenance is ordered in your case? The length of time for a former spouse to become self sufficient is simply an expectation set by the Court during a Jefferson County or Louisville divorce proceeding. The Court’s maintenance order establishes the Court’s expectation the spouse receiving support will become self-sufficient in an appropriate period of time. We are often asked “how long after maintenance is ordered do you have to become self-sufficient?”
The actual law surrounding maintenance requires a “fair” notice. This term is generally considered to be purposefully vague so that the court may establish an appropriate guideline based upon several complex legal factors. This is why it is so important to work with the experienced divorce and family law attorneys at Dodd & Dodd. We advocate aggressively for our clients, and help to clarify all aspects of the decision in your case.
One factor is the duration of the marriage itself. The judge may allow 1 year of maintenance in some cases, 3 years in another and in a third case no instruction to become self sustaining may be issued. If the marriage existed for more than 20 years and one party hasn’t worked in many years and doesn’t have a college degree or vocational skill the time frame is usually extended, if any limitation on maintenance is placed at all.
In other situations, especially when the Court believes the party receiving support is “underemployed” the time frame may be toward the shorter end of the spectrum. Maintenance is one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce case and our experienced family law attorneys provide clients with insight based upon decades of representation before Jefferson County family law courts.
If you have concerns about how long you have to become self sufficient after maintenance is ordered in your case or are in the process of considering or beginning a divorce we invite you to review the recommendations of our clients and contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment.
