What are the Qualifications for Spousal Maintenance?
The purpose of spousal maintenance is to assist a party who is not in a position to meet his/her own reasonable needs after separation or divorce to achieve the goal of financial independence. In order to qualify for maintenance, a party must meet one of the following criteria: (1) s/he lacks sufficient property, including property apportioned to him/her, to provide for his/her reasonable needs; (2) s/he is unable to be self-sufficient through appropriate employment or is the custodian of a child whose age or condition is such that the custodian should not be required to seek employment outside the home or lacks earning ability in the labor market adequate to be self-sufficient; (3) s/he has made a significant financial or other contribution to the education, training, vocational skills, career or earning ability of the other spouse; s/he had a marriage of long duration and is of an age that may preclude the possibility of gaining employment adequate to be self-sufficient; or s/he has significantly reduced his/her income or career opportunities for the benefit of the other spouse.