We’ve Been Separated for Years; Will I Still Get Alimony?

Marriages come in all shapes and sizes, as it were.

Usually, people live together until they decide to separate for good, then they rather quickly file for divorce and get the process started.

Other times, people simply split up and stay married. This can go on for years, sometimes more than a decade.

At some point, though, even those who have been separated for years file for divorce. And when they do, this question arises: since we’ve been separated for years, will I still get alimony?

Technical Legal Answer

So, the technical answer, as it so often is with attorney is: it depends.

Here are a few reasons it depends:

Separations fluctuate. If a relationship is on-again-off-again, there’s more of a chance a court will award alimony.
One spouse has provided support throughout the separation. If you’ve paid support to your spouse even though you’ve been separated, that may well count as alimony, which would decrease alimony you would pay after divorce.
Neither spouse needs money. If neither of you need money from each other to live, and you’ve been separated for years, then it’s pretty hard to prove someone needs alimony.

Real-Life Answer

The real-life answer to the question is this: probably not.

In my experience, when people are apart for years, they make due with what they have. What I mean is people lives completely separate lives and don’t rely on each other for money.

So, if you’ve been apart for years and have made ends meet all that time, it’s difficult to ask for alimony and say you need money to make ends meet.

That’s almost always how it works out in real life.

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Brown Family Law

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James Herrera

I cannot say enough good things about Brown Family Law. Amy was my attorney and she was great! She always listened and responded quickly. Thanks to her, my case was resolved quickly. Thank you, Amy.

Jace Morris

Fast and kept me involved. Very professional team.

Shaun Jorgensen

Best attorney ever. They were so helpful and responsive

Christie Berube

When I started my case with Brown Family Law, they had 650 positive reviews. Now, about a year later, they have 820. Not sure how much else you need to convince you, but do yourself a favor and stop looking. You're in the right place.We worked with Nathaniel for nearly a year on our case, and trusting someone with something so vulnerable and close to you as a custody case is difficult, but he made it easy. His knowledge of law and experience with the court system allowed us to make educated decisions quicker. He helped me feel confident in very unfamiliar territory, and having someone like Nate on my team allowed me to make the best decisions possible for our family. He thought of many things I didn't, and gave us the roadmap to success for navigating a complicated and stressful situation. I found myself constantly bragging about our lawyer to family and expressing how impressed I was in his skill and his fearless nature of getting sh** done. Nate got that dawg in him, yanno what I mean?I like the way Brown Family Law works with their clients; it's different than other law firms, and I can see the benefits of those differences. It's always easy to contact someone at the office, and I get a response very quickly. They are extremely communicative, fast, and thorough. They run a tight ship, and it's obvious the quality differences from other law firms.This is a big and heavy decision, but Brown Family Law will take a lot of that weight off your shoulders. Ask for Nate--you won't be led astray.

Response from the owner: Christie, thank you. So glad Nathaniel was able to help you and that we were able to communicate with you so quickly.

Fer Esquivel Guillén

This firm is awesome but special shoutout to Dani, she is an outstanding paralegal. She is very knowledgeable

Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your kind words about Dani.

Karl Bench

I can't say enough about Russell Yauney at Brown Family Law! He has helped me on multiple cases over the years and has always exceeded my expectations. Russell is one of the good guys who isn't afraid to tell you how it is and isn't afraid to stand up and fight for what is right. I'm glad that I have Russell and his team in my corner!

Response from the owner: Karl, glad Russell served you well.

Ryan Farrell

very helpful to fathers who have been broke by the system and targeted for vaporization(1984). Thank you brown family law.

Response from the owner: You're welcome, Ryan. And thank you for the kind words.

Samantha Lachowsky

Nathaniel was my attorney and I couldn't ask for someone more attentive and level-headed than he is. They made my divorce process so much easier and were very patient with me as I navigated the entire process. Thank you Brown Family Law for all of your help!

Response from the owner: Samantha, thank you and so glad Nathaniel did such a good job for you.

Danny Fenstermaker

Used Nathaniel Garrabrandt for a child custody case. He is very good, very professional and available. Having been through this a few times that communication is very important. The only warning, and this isnt just Nate per se, but very very costly.

Response from the owner: Danny, thank you for recommendation. Glad Nathaniel has been able to help you.

Amber McFee

I've witnessed firsthand how Brown Family Law works hard to care for their clients. They train their staff and attorneys on more than just the law, but how to serve clients with care and integrity.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Amber.

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We’ve Been Separated for Years; Will I Still Get Alimony?

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