What is “maintenance?”

Spousal support is commonly known as “alimony” or “maintenance.” There is no absolute right to spousal support in the state of Kansas and such an award depends on the individual facts of each case. In determining whether spousal support should be granted and the amount and length of such award, the court looks at the length of the parties’ marriage, the education and job experience of the parties, whether the parties agree that spousal maintenance is appropriate, whether some support is necessary to enable a spouse to complete an education or become self-supporting. There may be some circumstances in which the parties agree to provide spousal support because of available tax advantages. Spousal support may be deductible by the person paying the support and taxable to the person receiving the support.

Judges in Kansas are required to analyze a laundry list of factors in order to decide whether spousal support is appropriate in any particular case and, if it is, the judge analyzes those factors and a number of other facts to decide both the amount and length of any support ordered.