If your marriage ended with you or your spouse slamming the door, and you earn more than your spouse, you will most likely be ordered to pay your spouse alimony in case of a divorce.
Many of our readers ask our Salt Lake City alimony attorney Emy A. Cordano the following question: “Are there any legal ways to avoid paying alimony in case of a divorce in Utah?”
If that’s your question, then there is only one answer: “If you want to avoid paying alimony, also known as spousal support, but it’s clear from your circumstances that you will be ordered to pay alimony, then there’s most likely no legally and equitably valid ways you can prevent having to pay alimony.”
That is because Utah laws are very strict when it comes to ordering alimony when one of the spouses has the ability to support himself or herself financially month to month and has some surplus money to share with his/her spouse. That, of course, if the other spouse can prove that he or she is unable to support himself/herself financially month to month.
Despite this, payor spouses (the spouses ordered to pay alimony) still look for legal ways to avoid paying spousal support. And more often than not, their attempts to avoid being ordered to pay alimony to come up empty. This is especially true if the spouse by an experienced alimony attorney in Salt Lake City or elsewhere in Utah.
More likely than not, a spouse may attempt to either falsely appear impoverished or even voluntarily impoverish himself or herself (by voluntarily quitting their job shortly before or after divorce) in order to avoid paying alimony. But such attempts to avoid paying spousal support are illegal in Utah and will not get you far.
Still, there might be legal options available to avoid having to pay alimony to your spouse in Utah:
If you want to find legal ways to avoid paying alimony to your spouse, consult with a Salt Lake City alimony attorney Emy A. Cordano. Get a legal consultation by calling at 801-804-5152.