If I divorce my husband can I get spousal support

In Maryland, alimony has different purposes and different reasons for granting it, depending on which purpose the Court is trying to accomplish. There is temporary alimony to help a spouse during the litigation period, or to become trained and capable of obtaining work if that spouse has been a stay-at-home parent, caring for children, or for other reasons has not been working. It is the goal in Maryland law for each spouse to be self sustaining, if possible. Maryland has a list of about 11 different factors in determining how much spousal support and how long the spousal support will last, and even if any spousal support will be awarded at all. The court will consider the following factors when deciding if alimony is appropriate, and if so, then how much and for how long, and what kinds of orders to make in requiring the receiver of alimony to become self supporting: 1) The ability of the party to be self supporting; 2) The time necessary to get educated to become self supporting; 3) The marital standard of living; 4) The length of the marriage; 5) What each party did for the good of family; 6) The reasons the marriage ended; 7) The parties' ages; 8) The physical and mental health of each party; 9) The ability of the party to afford living expenses while paying alimony to the other party; 10) The financial needs and financial assets of each party; 11) Any agreement between the parties; 12) Any other factors or reasons which would cause a judge to grant or deny alimony. As you can see, this is a very exhaustive list of possible factors which a judge takes into account when awarding or not awarding alimony, how much to award, and for how long. You would do well to consult with an attorney to obtain the guidance and legal advice you need.

As the other attorneys have explained, there are many facts needed to access whether and to what extent you may receive alimony. The only thing that I can add is that you should consult with an attorney who has experience litigating alimony cases in Baltimore County, given your address. The reason is that, unlike child support, there are no guidelines, and thus a Baltimore County Judge will need to decide whether you should receive support, if your spouse will not agree to do so. Therefore, you're better served by someone who can call on experience handling such cases in front of Baltimore County Judges.

I agree with the other attorneys' helpful answers. Your entitlement to marital support depends on the specific facts of your answer which you should review with a lawyer in your area. Good luck to you!