A marriage of ten or more years is typically understood to be a marriage of long duration, but being married ten years doesn’t guarantee a lower-earning spouse permanent maintenance.
A person who married at 25 and is divorcing at 36 will be considered to have quite a bit of earning potential ahead of them, and can probably expect a maintenance award for a period of years allowing you to get on your feet financially.
On the other hand, if you’ve been married many years, have been out of the workforce, are older or have a chronic illness, the court may consider permanent maintenance based on an expectation that your earning potential won’t support you.
Permanent maintenance is unusual in Rochester, but not unheard of, and when the request is fair based on your circumstances, judges have been known to award it.
At Friedman & Ranzenhofer, we work to make sure our clients get everything they need when their marriages end. Call us at 585-484-7432 for a legal consultation today.