Many people end up making professional sacrifices when they enter into a Texas marriage. If you count yourself among those who stopped working or worked less, to help support your spouse or children, then you may have cause to seek spousal maintenance if your marriage comes to an end.
Per the Texas Statutes, the Texas family court system reviews a specific set of variables when deciding whether to give you an award for spousal maintenance. Some of the areas that undergo consideration are as follows.
The duration of your marriage
While the duration of your marriage, alone, does not necessarily indicate if you are going to get spousal maintenance, your chances typically improve when your marriage lasts a long time. This may be due to the fact that, in a long marriage, there is a higher chance of you sacrificing your time and earning potential for the sake of your partner.
Your chances of getting a new job
The state also considers how hard it might be for you to find gainful employment when your marriage ends when deciding whether you need spousal maintenance. Your level of education and past employment history may fall under the microscope here.
The property you brought to the marriage in the first place
Texas also considers the value of any property you brought into your marriage when deciding if you truly need spousal maintenance. If you have considerable assets available to you even when your marriage ends, then a spousal maintenance award may become less likely.
These are some of the factors the state considers when making spousal maintenance awards. However, this is not a complete list of all areas that may undergo consideration.