After spending nearly 17 years with his wife, George Lopez, a well known actor and comedian has severed the nuptial ties with his wife, Anna. A divorce can be painful or amicable entirely depending on the understanding and maturity level of the couple. In this case, it was amicable and mutual. George’s divorce attorney must be really busy now. And why not, when someone of his stature gets divorced, the question of alimony arises and this is where a divorce attorney plays a crucial role.
Law Vary
Things would have been much easier for divorcing couples and really tough for divorce attorneys if divorce laws across the country would have been the same. Alas, that is not the case. Every state has different set of rules that govern alimony and divorce separations. A few states like Texas, Kentucky, Utah, Montana, and Kansas have very explicit guidelines and they are strictly adhered to by judges in these states. No wonder a divorce attorney practicing in any of these states needs to be exceptional and highly knowledgeable to act fairly to both parties as laws governing duration and amount of alimony are very stringent in the aforementioned states.
One Decade
Take for example the states of Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. If you are filing for divorce in these states, you should keep it in mind that alimony will be awarded only if the marriage is 10 or more years old. Also, the alimony period cannot be lengthier than three years. And if your divorce attorney does not know even this, you immediately seek someone else because this is pretty basic.
Help
Another thing that you should know is, alimony is entirely different from child custody. A divorce lawyer may or may not be as valuable as you thought if they do not understand child custody either. So before you retain a lawyer for filing the divorce, let the attorney know that child custody will also come into play. Perhaps they may need to hire a second hand or another attorney they know could be more suitable for you.
Just like George Lopez
Again, laws for child custody and alimony vary from state to state, so ensure that you are hiring a good divorce attorney, just as George Lopez did.
