Maintenance agreements, which used to be called alimony agreements, are calculated using various criteria, which helps the lawyers use an Illinois maintenance calculator to decide on the right amount that the spouse has to pay each month. These agreements aren’t guaranteed, of course, but if you’re requesting them, you should familiarize yourself with what the lawyers look at when determining the proper amount.
Certain Things Are Used in a Maintenance Agreement
There is an Illinois maintenance calculator that most lawyers use, and each part of the process is given a certain amount of weight. For the most part, things the lawyers consider include the length of the marriage, the needs of each partner, future earning capacity, the standard of living reached during the marriage, and the sources of income for each partner, among others. All of these things put together help determine the specifics of the maintenance agreement, and the calculator gives the lawyer a great place to start so that it’s more fair in the end.
Everything Should Be Fair
One of the many reasons maintenance agreements are looked at so carefully is that lawyers want the final agreement to be fair to both sides. This can only happen if they calculate everything precisely and take all sorts of things into consideration. An Illinois maintenance calculator helps the lawyers come up with the right amount, but in order for that amount to be fair, you have to be completely honest when answering all of your lawyer’s questions, which is important for numerous reasons.