Arizona courts have standard forms people often use when going through a divorce. However, the questions on these forms sometimes seem much simpler than they truly are.
Certain answers might require significant work to support them. This is especially true in hotly contested divorces, where disagreements about the details are commonplace.
Overview of a spousal maintenance form
As with many court documents, one of the first items on a typical spousal maintenance form is a field for the names of the parties involved. These names would typically be the petitioner and the respondent in the divorce.
The next section would be the reasons that one spouse needs or would qualify for support. This information might include:
- Inability to make enough money to support oneself
- Contributions to the education of a spouse
- Lacking property to provide for one’s needs
- Duration of the marriage
- Age of the party making the statement
Following this, the person who is making the statement would provide a basis upon which the court could decide the amount and duration of the spousal support. This tends to be a relatively detailed inventory of earning potential, income and expenses. Finally, the party would sign and date the document.
Complexities in a simple form
Some of the fields in the form should be relatively straightforward, such as providing an age or a duration of a marriage. Other questions, such as those regarding declarations of disability or summaries of household expenses, might require significant work to answer accurately.
The signature at the bottom of the spousal support form and the fact that parties submit it to court make this more than a simple worksheet. False information could have consequences ranging from delays to further legal issues.
