Child Support Attorney in Hingham, Massachusetts
What are the differences between child support and alimony?
What are the differences between child support and alimony?
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Each is designed by the state legislature to address different things. Child support addresses the needs of the children, and the obligation of the parent to clothe, shelter, and feed the children.
General term alimony – and that’s what most people understand alimony to be – is the periodic payment by one spouse to the other economically dependent spouse. That is also determined by need.
Child support is paid by the payor parent until the child is emancipated, and emancipation is defined by statute. It can be at age 18, it can be when the child graduates from college, or it can be up to 23 years of age, depending upon the circumstances.
Alimony is paid depending upon the length of the marriage. If it is a long-term marriage, it would be paid up to the payor’s retirement age under the federal statute, and for shorter periods of time in other situations where it’s not a long-term marriage. Long-term marriage in Massachusetts is anything over 20 years.
Hingham, MA family law attorney James M. Lynch explains the difference between child support and alimony. He notes that child support and alimony are designed by the state legislature to address different needs. Child support focuses on the needs of the children, ensuring that the payor parent contributes to their basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter.
General term alimony, which is what most people think of as alimony, involves periodic payments from one spouse to the economically dependent spouse and is also determined by need.
Child support continues until the child is emancipated, which Massachusetts law defines in various ways: typically at age 18, upon high school graduation, or in some cases up to age 23, depending on the circumstances.
Alimony, on the other hand, is based on the length of the marriage. In long-term marriages—defined in Massachusetts as over 20 years—alimony may be paid up to the payor’s retirement age under federal law. For shorter marriages, alimony is generally awarded for a correspondingly shorter duration.
