Does my spouse have legal rights to terminate paying alimony on his own?
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Does my spouse have legal rights to terminate paying alimony on his own?
I was married for 20 years and after 20 years decided to get a divorce. The entire time we were
married I was never employed. The spousal support agreement was very vague and something to the effect of ‘I will pay spousal support of $1,800 a month and that was including child support
Asked on April 11, 2019 under Family Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
No, he does not. A spousal support agreement is like any other contract in that it obligates the parties to it and neither party can change or terminate it on their own--it would require the consent (agreement) of both parties (you and your ex-spouse) or a court order (if a legal challenge were brought to the agreement and a judge agreed that something about it had to be changed) to alter or terminate alimony. You can sue him to enforce the agreement--to get the back money owed you and force him to pay in the future. Clearly, having an attorney would be beneficial, but you are allowed to bring the legal action on your own or "pro se."
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