Is alimony considered marital income?

In California, alimony is considered separate from marital income. This means that alimony is not considered household income and is not counted as part of the marital estate. This is important because when divorcing couples go through their asset division, alimony is not divided as part of that process. Additionally, alimony payments are not usually taxable for the recipient, whereas other forms of income such as wages and investment earnings, are typically taxable. It is important to note that the definition of alimony has recently changed in California, and that it is now considered to be any payment that one spouse makes to the other in order to provide support to the other spouse. This definition includes both temporary payments, such as during the pendency of a divorce, as well as long-term payments, such as those that may be required following a divorce. Alimony may also include both periodic payments (such as a monthly payment) as well as lump-sum payments. It is important to note that alimony is ultimately a matter of negotiation between the divorcing spouses, with the court having the final decision-making authority. As such, the specifics of alimony in each case will depend on the particular circumstances of the divorce and the agreement of the parties.

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