There was a time when getting divorced almost automatically meant a husband would be paying alimony to a former wife. Today, however, spousal support may or may not be part of a Texas couple’s divorce agreement. Changing social roles and even the new tax code are contributing to some new trends when it comes to agreements surrounding spousal support.
A survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found that between 2015 and 2018, almost half of attorneys surveyed said they have been seeing more women required to pay alimony to their ex-husbands than in the past. Of those polled, 45% indicated an awareness of this shift. Pew Research adds that as many as four in every 10 U.S. households are led by women as the primary earners. This is no doubt contributing to the shift in alimony responsibilities.
This year was the first calendar year in which alimony taxation will change and that may well contribute to even more shifts in the choices couples make about spousal support. In the past, the person who paid alimony received a tax deduction but now that person will be liable for the federal income tax on the amount paid.
If you would like to learn more about spousal support and how to best determine which spouse should pay alimony or whether there are other agreements you and your spouse could make in your divorce that appropriately compensate both parties, please feel free to visit the marital dissolution agreements page of our Texas divorce and spousal support website.
