Spousal support (alimony) is a court-ordered transfer of income from one spouse to another. In Ohio, the purpose of spousal support is to assist a wage-disadvantaged spouse to become self-supporting.
There is not a statutory formula to calculate spousal support like there is to calculate child support. The amount and duration of an order is in the discretion of the Court. The Court should consider 12 different factors to make an equitable order. Judges in different counties vary dramatically in how they calculate spousal support. Having an experienced attorney is crucial.
Spousal support is a taxable event. The spouse paying can deduct the amount paid from income on federal income tax returns, just as the amount received by a spouse must be declared as income received on tax returns.
