Even after the courts enter final rulings in a divorce, it may take quite some time to fully move on from a marriage. Financial obligations related to divorce can persist for years. Parents with minor children typically have to pay child support until their children reach adulthood.
In scenarios involving uneven earning potential and other financial discrepancies, one spouse may have to provide spousal maintenance for the other after a divorce. Spousal maintenance can also last for years. It serves to help a lower-earning or dependent spouse maintain an independent household or prepare to reenter the workforce.
In some situations, the person paying spousal maintenance may be able to ask the courts to modify or even terminate the maintenance order. Any significant change in circumstances can warrant a review of a spousal maintenance order.
Can a new relationship affect the obligation to continue paying spousal maintenance?
When the paying spouse remarries
After a divorce, people typically begin rebuilding their lives. That process may include developing new romantic relationships. Someone who divorced and has to pay spousal maintenance may fall in love and decide to marry their new partner.
Remarriage can drastically alter their financial circumstances, as they may now have responsibility for a new spouse. Unfortunately, the courts usually do not consider a paying spouse’s remarriage justification to terminate spousal maintenance obligations. The paying spouse may still have a responsibility to their former spouse despite beginning a new relationship.
When the recipient spouse remarries
If the person who requires spousal maintenance remarries, that is a completely different scenario. Having a spouse to provide for their basic needs reduces their reliance on spousal maintenance. The courts may consider significantly reducing or even terminating spousal maintenance obligations when a recipient remarries.
In fact, simply moving in with a new romantic partner could provide grounds for a maintenance modification. The ability to share expenses with a new romantic partner reduces the need for maintenance in many cases.
People hoping to adjust or even eliminate their spousal maintenance obligations may need assistance as they evaluate their situation, and that’s okay. Going back to court to modify the orders entered during a Washington divorce can help people move on with their lives after the end of a marriage.
