Virginia Beach Spousal Support Attorney

Seeking or Contesting Support? Get Guidance Backed by More Than 70 Years of Experience

Spousal support, commonly called alimony, can shape both spouses’ finances during separation and long after a divorce. At Bush & Taylor, P.C., we help Virginia Beach clients assess eligibility, potential payment amounts, duration, and terms that may affect future modification. We represent people seeking support and those responding to or contesting a request.

Virginia courts don’t award support automatically or apply a universal formula in every proceeding. The analysis may involve each spouse’s income, needs, financial resources, earning capacity, and ongoing obligations. We explain how the available choices may affect housing, debt, retirement planning, and other short- and long-term financial concerns.

How Virginia Courts Evaluate Spousal Support

Virginia Code § 20-107.1 authorizes courts to award support in connection with divorce, separate maintenance, and certain proceedings before a juvenile and domestic relations district court. Whether an award is appropriate and what form it should take depend on the evidence and the type of case before the court.

Factors a court may consider include:

• Each spouse’s financial resources, needs, debts, and obligations
• The standard of living established during the marriage
• The length of the marriage and each spouse’s age and health
• Each spouse’s earning capacity, education, training, and employment opportunities
• Monetary and nonmonetary contributions to the family
• The circumstances that contributed to the end of the marriage

A court may order periodic payments for a defined or undefined period, a lump-sum payment, or a combination of payment types. It may also reserve support, preserving the right to request it later within the period permitted by the final divorce decree. We connect the statutory factors to the financial evidence rather than treating either spouse’s income as the sole consideration.

Support During Separation, Litigation, & After Divorce

Support may arise at several stages of a family law case. Temporary spousal support, also known as pendente lite support, may provide financial assistance while litigation is pending. A temporary decision doesn’t necessarily determine the terms included in the final divorce decree.

Final support may be established through an agreement or court order after the relevant evidence and statutory factors have been considered. A spouse may also request support while the parties remain married but live separately. The proper court and available relief depend on the proceeding, the request, and Virginia jurisdictional rules.

Building a Spousal Support Claim With Financial Evidence

A request or response should be grounded in complete financial information. Relevant records may include pay statements, tax returns, employment benefits, retirement assets, bank records, recurring household expenses, debts, and health-related costs. Evidence of the marital standard of living may also be important.

Important terms in a separation agreement or proposed order may include:

• The amount and timing of each payment
• The date payments begin and their expected duration
• The events that may modify or end support
• Whether future support rights are waived or reserved
• The process for addressing missed or disputed payments

Before signing a separation agreement, each spouse should understand how its language may affect future rights. We explain the available options and their potential consequences while keeping clients informed as negotiations or court proceedings develop.

When Spousal Support May Be Modified or Terminated

Virginia Code § 20-109 allows courts to increase, decrease, or terminate certain awards in appropriate circumstances. A material change in circumstances, meaning a significant change since the existing award, may support a modification request. Because the governing agreement or order can limit what a court may change, its precise terms matter.

Remarriage and qualifying cohabitation may also affect continued payments under Virginia law. The outcome depends on the facts and controlling documents, not the changed circumstance alone. We assess modification, termination, and enforcement issues so clients can make informed decisions about how to proceed.