Just because a payment is called “spousal support” or alimony does not mean that the IRS will view is that way. The following requirements must be met for a payment to qualify as spousal support. We call them the eight D’s of alimony. 1) Dollars must be received by or on behalf of a spouse 2) Documented […]
Here are some examples of questions you should consider asking a divorce attorney before retaining them. They are listed, loosely, in order of importance. The questions are designed to help make sure you hire an attorney who: spends the majority, if not all, of their time practicing family law has the skills to settle your […]
Maybe. It depends on the reason you incurred the fees. You cannot deduct the basic legal fees for divorce or court filing costs. However, you can deduct any fees including legal fees that were paid for tax advice related to the divorce or to help you get taxable alimony or spousal support. These legal fees […]
Financial discovery is the fact finding/document gathering part of the divorce process. Financial discovery can be time consuming and may be the most expensive part of a divorce process for a wealthy family. Financial discovery will most likely happen over time. The amount of time depends on whether or not the parties are being cooperative. […]
No Fault Divorce means that you are not required to provide proof your spouse was “at fault” or did something wrong, such as committing adultery, or being abusive to be granted a divorce. Every state in the US has adopted some form “no-fault” divorce laws. California was the first to do so in 1969 under […]
