Should I ask for alimony if I’ve already asked for child support?

Going through divorce proceedings is possibly the single most stressful things any person can go through. This is especially true for high-asset couples who oftentimes have more to lose if their divorce proceedings do not go smoothly.

As you can imagine, the main source of contention for a lot of high-asset couples has to do with their assets. They want to know who will get what and how much. The more the couple disputes the distribution of their wealth, the more likely tensions are going to rise, making negotiations difficult and filled with contention.

It’s for this very reason that we’re raising the question above: should I ask for alimony if I’ve already asked for child support? As you can imagine, this question is typically asked when discussions about dividing assets have started to break down. A situation such as this could easily cause a person to hesitate asking for more money, especially if the spouse making the request believes that their ex will react negatively to the request.

The fear of a spouse reacting negatively to a request for alimony should never deter a partner from making the request in the first place, especially if they need spousal support to live or just to get back on their feet after a divorce. Remember, child support payments only cover the needs of the child, not the needs of the custodial parent. This means that even if a custodial parent needs more money to help cover bills, they may not ask for more in child support. This is where a request for alimony is necessary.

Even though a high-asset individual might feel like they are being “sucked dry” by a spouse who is making a request for child support and alimony, it’s important to know that each amount covers a different person’s needs. In some cases, it may be necessary to make both requests. Getting mad about it or not making the request out of fear are mistakes some say only make matters worse in the end.