Spousal support or alimony designed provides the lower-earning spouse with the required monetary needs to set better living standards, even after the dissolution of marriage.
According to South Carolina laws, the court provides 5 types of alimony.
- Periodic alimony – This is ongoing support (generally paid every month) but only for a period of time. The court can review and modify the support if there are substantial changes in spouses’ life.
- Lump-sum alimony – This alimony is a set amount of support that the court decides, and it cannot change. It can be paid once or in few installments.
- Rehabilitative alimony – This support amount pays so that the spouse can get into a school or training program and improve their job skills to earn more. The court decides the total amount to pay.
- Reimbursement alimony – This alimony designes to reimburse the supported spouse for investing time, efforts, and money in the supporting spouse’s education or training that improves their earning capacity.
- Separate maintenance and support – This type of alimony can provide when the couple is no longer living together but not filing for the divorce. This support is paid regularly, generally every month, and can change by the court in the future.
Factors that the court considers while deciding the alimony amount
- Length of the marriage
- Age of both spouses when they got married, and at the time they are getting divorced
- Educational background of both spouses; whether they require any additional education or training to improve job skills
- The physical and mental condition of both spouses
- Earning capability and employment history of both
- Living standards during the married time
- Which partner holds the child custody
- Current and future expenses of both
NOTE: The above list is not limited to the mentioned factors only. For a clear and better understanding of South Carolina alimony laws and related queries, it is best to consult or hire an expert alimony attorney.