Often times in a marriage, one spouse may be financially dependent on the other spouse for many or all of their needs. A divorce, then, could leave that spouse destitute, which is why many states, including Ohio, allow for alimony payments. That way, the financially dependent spouse is able to maintain a reasonable standard of living even following the end of the marriage.
It may of course come as no surprise, though, that the proper amount of alimony is often a contested issue in a divorce. In that vein, readers may be interested to hear of the recent divorce proceedings between actor Terrence Howard and his estranged wife. Howard, who is an Oscar-nominated actor, is disputing the amount of alimony he owes his wife after a judge ordered him to pay $50,000.
The amount covers $10,000 in temporary support along with another $40,000 in accounting and legal fees. He believes this to be too much as he claims they were only together for six months and that large sums of cash have already disappeared from an account held jointly. On the other hand, the wife has made claims of physical abuse and additionally states that they were together for 18 months.
Howard disputes the abuse allegations, and he has said further that the allegations have done him substantial harm as he has been unable to find work. Nonetheless, the presiding judge in the case will have to ascertain the truth of the matter and make a decision about how much Howard will be ultimately required to pay beyond the temporary alimony payments already ordered by the court.
Source: KABC Los Angeles, “Terrence Howard disputes spousal support,” Miriam Hernandez, Feb. 21, 2012