Alimony or Spousal Support Attorneys in Irvine

Helping Clients across Orange County Resolve Their Alimony Issues

At The Neshanian Law Firm, Inc., Attorney Amy Neshanian has successfully resolved spousal support disputes for clients for nearly 20 years. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist with the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and is one of the region’s most respected lawyers. She fights vigorously to obtain fair and just results on behalf of her clients.

If you are getting divorced and have questions about whether or not you are entitled to receive spousal support or will be obligated to pay it, we can help. Dedicated to providing personalized legal counsel and client representation, we return all emails and telephone calls in a timely manner, and we will always keep you updated regarding the progress of your case.

Many people are unsure how California’s spousal support laws apply to their specific situation, especially when there are significant differences in income or when one spouse has been out of the workforce for many years. As an alimony attorney, we can review your financial picture, the length of your marriage, and your goals so you understand the range of possible outcomes before you make major decisions about settlement or trial.

Contact Irvine spousal support attorney Amy Neshanian at (949) 577-7935 to make an appointment for an honest, up-front legal analysis of your case.

Spousal Support Laws

Also known as alimony, spousal support is not automatically ordered by the court. If the parties cannot reach an agreement regarding spousal support, family court judges have discretion as to whether or not alimony will be awarded during divorce proceedings.

A highly effective negotiator, Attorney Amy Neshanian can work with you and opposing counsel to resolve your spousal support dispute by engaging in settlement negotiations. If negotiations fail to provide an acceptable outcome, we possess extensive courtroom experience and can utilize our skills as seasoned litigators to pursue the most favorable results possible.

Because the Orange County Superior Court has wide discretion in how it applies California Family Code provisions to each case, outcomes can vary significantly depending on the facts presented and how they are documented. As a spousal support attorney Irvine residents can turn to for guidance, we can help you gather pay records, business documents, and other financial information so the court has a clear and accurate picture of income, expenses, and needs.

Prior to the issuance of the final divorce decree, the court may order the temporary payment of spousal support, allowing the supported spouse to maintain the status quo and continue to meet their needs, pending the final judgment of divorce. When issuing a temporary support order, the court will thoroughly review the financial needs of each party.

Temporary Vs. Long-Term Spousal Support in Irvine

Understanding the difference between temporary and long-term spousal support can help you plan for both the immediate transition and your financial future after a divorce. Temporary support is generally focused on keeping both parties financially stable while the case is pending, whereas long-term or post-judgment support is based on a broader review of the marriage and each spouse’s earning capacity. In Orange County courts, including the Lamoreaux Justice Center, judges often rely on guideline calculations for temporary support but consider a wider range of factors when deciding longer-term orders. Knowing what each type of support is designed to accomplish can make it easier to decide whether to negotiate, mediate, or proceed to a hearing.

When you meet with an alimony lawyer, we can talk through how temporary support might affect your monthly budget, housing decisions, and ability to pay other obligations while the case is in progress. We can also discuss how long-term support could be structured, including whether the court might expect the supported spouse to pursue additional education or employment over time. For higher-income families or those with complex business or investment assets, we can coordinate with financial professionals so that proposed support terms are realistic and supported by credible documentation. Our goal is to help you understand the potential range of orders before you decide how to approach settlement discussions or a contested hearing.

For clients who already have a temporary order, we can review whether it accurately reflects each party’s current income and needs, or whether a modification request may be appropriate. If you are concerned about paying too much or receiving too little, we can analyze pay stubs, tax returns, and other financial records to see how they compare to what the court relied on initially. We also discuss with you how upcoming life changes, such as a move, a planned retirement, or a change in childcare responsibilities, might affect your long-term support picture. By looking at both the short-term and the long-term aspects of support, we help you prepare for hearings in a thoughtful, well-documented way.

Before entering a permanent order for spousal support, the court will examine several factors, including:

• The ability of the obligor spouse to pay
• The employability of the supported spouse
• The health and age of the parties
• Any history of domestic violence
• The length of the marriage
• The extent to which one spouse supported the other during the marriage
• The level of each party’s education
• The marital standard of living
• Each party’s earning ability

Since judges are provided with a considerable amount of leeway when setting a spousal support order, you must retain a lawyer who is familiar with these statutory guideline factors.

When ordered, the period of time for which spousal support must be paid will generally be based on the length of the marriage. If the marriage is considered to be of a short duration (less than 10 years), the payor spouse will generally only be required to pay spousal support for a length of time ranging between half the term of the marriage and for the number of years the marriage lasted. With respect to long-term marriages (those lasting for more than 10 years), spousal support may be due and payable until the recipient either remarries or passes away.

As with child support, visitation, and custody, spousal support orders may be modified upon a demonstration of a change in circumstances sufficient to warrant modification of the order.

A change in circumstances may include:

• Death
• Disability
• Illness
• Increase or decrease in pay
• Job layoff
• Retirement
• Remarriage of the supported spouse

Spousal support will not be ordered in an amount that allows the supported spouse to live beyond the marital standard of living.

Call Our Irvine Spousal Support Attorneys for an Irvine Consultation

Please contact The Neshanian Law Firm, Inc. to obtain information about whether support will be ordered in your case. For immediate assistance, call us today, and we can set up an appointment for you to come in for an honest, in-depth legal consultation.

We understand that potential clients often want to know what to expect when they meet with a spousal support lawyer Irvine families trust with significant financial issues. During a consultation, we can discuss the court where your case will be heard, such as the Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange County, the documents you should bring with you, and the options you may have for temporary and long-term support based on California law.

Centrally located in Irvine, The Neshanian Law Firm, Inc. provides knowledgeable legal representation to individuals who reside throughout Orange County. Call (949) 577-7935.