If your attorney advises you that you may be a candidate for alimony, be sure to provide complete facts about your situation, including:
- A history of the interruptions in your education or career for the benefit of your spouse, including transfers or moves due to your spouse’s employment;
- A history of the interruptions in your education or career for raising children, including periods during which you worked part-time;
- Your complete educational background, including the dates of your schooling or training and degrees earned;
- Your work history, including the names of your employers, the dates of your employment, your duties, your pay, and the reason you left;
- Any pensions or other benefits lost due to the interruption of your career for the benefit of the marriage;
- Your health history, including any current diagnoses, treatments, limitations, and medications;
- Your monthly living expenses, including anticipated future expenses such as health insurance and tax on alimony;
- A complete list of the assets and debts for you and your spouse;
- Income for you and your spouse, including all sources; and
- Your recent joint tax returns, investment accounts, bank accounts and credit card account statements.
You also should include any other facts that might support your need for alimony. These facts may be other contributions you made to the marriage, upcoming medical treatment, or a lack of jobs in the field in which you were formerly employed.
No two alimony cases are alike. The better the information your lawyer has, the easier it will be for them to assess your case.