Many Alabama residents describe their wedding day as one of the happiest in their lives. Yet, as the years go by, that sense of happiness fades away for many spouses, which puts a strain on the spouses and their family. Indeed, a broken marriage that continues may be more harmful to the spouses and their children.

Yet, despite the unhappiness, many spouses stay in the marriage. A recent study found the number one reason for this is because the spouses lack the courage to get a divorce. Coupled with this, another popular reason a spouse may stay in an unhappy marriage is because the spouse is fearful of what his or her financial situation will be without the other partner.

While it is common for spouses to worry about financial support, Alabama law provides relief for spouses after divorce, in the form of alimony. Alimony, or spousal support, is meant to limit the unfairness that might otherwise occur when spouses get a divorce, where one spouse earns substantially more income than the other.

A particular award of alimony will depend on the facts of the case. For instance, spouses who have been together longer may have become more dependent on each other for financial support. In other cases, one spouse may earn an income, while the other stays at home. These factors, along with others, will be considered by a court in the context of a divorce case to determine if alimony is proper, and what amount of alimony should be ordered to help the spouse who needs it.

Source: Huffington Post, “Divorce study shows couples are unhappy, but too scared to split,” Jul. 18, 2013