Not Receiving Alimony Because Of COVID? What to Do Next
If you are divorced and receiving alimony each month, you rely upon that income from your ex-spouse. However, since the onset of COVID-19, many people have failed to receive their alimony payments as expected. If you count yourself among this group, do not sit back and just wait or hope for the check to start arriving in the mail. While there may be perfectly reasonable explanations for this non-payment, some ex-spouses may use the COVID crisis as an excuse to avoid making these court-ordered alimony payments. As to what you should do next, one of your most important actions should be contacting a Sarasota divorce attorney at the Law Offices of Matthew Z. Martell.
Verify Your Ex-Spouse’s Current Financial Standing
If you are not receiving alimony payments as scheduled, always contact your ex-spouse immediately to find out about their current situation. Like many people today, he could have lost his job due to COVID-19 and be experiencing severe financial difficulties. If he tells you this is the case, do not simply take him at his word. Instead, always work with a Sarasota divorce attorney near you from the Law Offices of Matthew Z. Martell to properly verify your ex-spouse’s story through the use of mandatory disclosure and discovery.
Modify the Alimony Support Order
If your ex-spouse has in fact been experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 crisis, you may want to work with him to temporarily modify the alimony support order originally set in place by the court when your divorce was finalized. While you may wind up taking a temporary decrease in alimony payments, the court will be able to put guidelines in place to ensure that once your ex-spouse’s financial situation improves, that your alimony payments can return to their normal levels.
When alimony payments stop arriving as expected, always be proactive when finding out why this is taking place. For additional help and guidance, consult with a Sarasota divorce attorney near you at the Law Offices of Matthew Z. Martell. Call us at (941) 556-7020 for your free 15-minute initial phone consultation. We are ready to help!
