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Land Legal Group is dedicated to providing high-quality legal services throughout Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including Little Tokyo, Old Chinatown, Naud Junction, New Chinatown, Aliso Village, Mission Junction, Taylor Junction, Angelino Heights, Pico Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, Glendale Junction, Butte Street Junction, Dayton Avenue, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Wyvernwood, and Saint James Park. With a deep understanding of the unique cultural dynamics and legal needs of each neighborhood, we are committed to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to our clients.
At the Land Legal Group, our Los Angeles divorce attorneys know that when one person is awarded spousal support as part of their marital dissolution agreement in California, they are going to want to maintain their eligibility to receive those payments as long as legally possible.
At the same time, part of gaining your independence after your divorce is finalized is putting yourself back out there from a dating standpoint.
The question becomes, does dating put your alimony payments in jeopardy? The simple answer is no. Simply dating another person will not have any influence on your ability to receive spousal support.
However, if a new relationship becomes serious, it may have some consequences.
Here is what our California residents need to know.
Cohabitation with a Romantic Partner with Impact Your Spousal Support in California
It is not very often that people get divorced and move in with the first person they date once the paperwork is finalized. You are certainly free to date whomever you want once you are legally single.
When you decide to live with your new partner, whether in your house or theirs, it is legally referred to as cohabitating, which can impact your California spousal support payments. California family courts view cohabitation as proof of a recipient’s reduced need for financial support and, as a result, may reduce or eliminate alimony payments altogether.
How Can the California Family Court Prove Cohabitation?
Before the family court can legally reduce or terminate your spousal support payments, the paying spouse must prove you are in a romantic relationship, and that you and your new partner live together.
This is often accomplished by proving you and your partner:
- Co-signed for a rental agreement.
- Co-signed for a mortgage.
- Purchased a home you will live in together outright.
- Share a bank account from where home/apartment/other living arrangements are paid.
Even if you do not share these factors, an engagement or the birth of a child can signal that you are in a relationship with permanency, which will give your ex-spouse the ability to legally revisit the need to continue spousal support payments.
Do You Have Questions About Spousal Support Payments in California?
If you have questions about either paying or receiving spousal support after a California divorce, contact our skilled Los Angeles spousal support attorney the Land Legal Group today at (310) 552-3500 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your unique needs and to learn how our Los Angeles family law attorneys can help.
