Does alimony have to be paid if the payor is unemployed?

In North Carolina, alimony is a form of legal support provided by one spouse to the other in the event of a divorce. In deciding alimony payments, the court considers a variety of factors, including the income of both spouses. Therefore, the answer to the question depends on the individual circumstances of each case. Generally speaking, if the payor spouse is unemployed, the court may accept that there is little or no income to provide alimony. Depending on the individual situation, the judge may accept that the payor is unable to fulfill their legal obligation to pay alimony. In such a situation, the court may order no payment of alimony, or may order a reduced amount. On other occasions, the court may not accept that the payor spouse is voluntarily unemployed. In such cases, the court may order the payor to seek employment and provide evidence to the court which demonstrates the efforts they are making to look for work. The court may also order the payor to pay alimony, even if they are unemployed, as long as the court is satisfied that the payor can access and pay alimony from other sources such as property or liquid assets. In conclusion, if the payor spouse is unemployed, alimony may or may not be required, depending on the individual circumstances of each case. The court will base its decision on the circumstances and evidence provided by each party.

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Does alimony have to be paid if the payor is unemployed?

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