Some people mistakenly believe that alimony (or spousal support) is a dying concept. Alimony has been known as a way to provide spouses, who had given up their careers and/or educational opportunities to stay home and care for the children, with an income once the marriage dissolved. Alimony, however, is much more than that and it is still very much alive and well. The reasons for awarding alimony are numerous and depend a great deal on the age, education level, health, income of the spouse and more. In most cases, alimony will cease if the receiving ex-spouse gets married, but what about just living together? Read on to find out how the issue of cohabitation is dealt with when it comes to alimony.

Cohabitation is Popular

Once upon a time, those who lived together without being married were likely to face scorn and embarrassment. While it would be a stretch to declare that cohabitation is now fully accepted, it does tend to raise fewer eyebrows. The idea of living together without a legal marriage is attractive to many couples; they say it allows them more time to get to know each other before making it legal. Formally married people also may feel extremely reluctant to marry again after a failed marriage. For those reasons, living together without being married is more popular than ever before.

Is Alimony Still A Need?

Alimony is all about financial need, not punishment of a cheating ex or a token of regret. Those who live together already know that this arrangement is more financially beneficial than living apart, even if money had nothing to do with moving in together in the first place. The question is, does the new living arrangement negate the need for continued alimony? The details of the the couples financial arrangements may come into the equation, particularly for the ex spouse who is quite unhappy with paying for the ex and their new roommate to live together.

It must be pointed out that the mere fact that a couple lives together should not cause a change in alimony, but that the situation deserves more research. If your ex is questioning the need for further alimony, you may soon find your personal financial arrangements with your partner exposed to judicial scrutiny.

Alimony Alterations

If your ex takes you back to court in an effort to remove or reduce your alimony award, the judge will take a look at both the nature of your relationship and the financial situation. Be prepared to show how the need for this payment still exists.

If your ability to receive alimony is being threatened, speak to a family lawyer right away.