How we can help
Support across every part of spousal maintenance
Working out maintenance means understanding both sides of the equation. Here’s some of what we help with:
Understanding whether it applies to you
Maintenance isn’t automatic. We’ll help you understand whether your circumstances are likely to lead to an award, and roughly what shape it might take.
Building a realistic budget
Courts base decisions on genuine need, not guesswork. We’ll help you set out an honest picture of your outgoings and income.
Weighing up term against joint lives
Most orders are now time-limited. We’ll explain the difference, and help you think through which fits your situation.
Negotiating with your ex
Whether talks happen directly or through mediation, we’ll help you prepare your position and stay level-headed through it.
Making it enforceable
An agreed figure means little until it’s written into a consent order. We’ll guide you through getting there.
Handling a change in circumstances
Jobs change, health changes, new relationships begin. We’ll help you understand when and how a maintenance order can be varied.
Spousal Maintenance UK
Maintenance rules in England and Wales don’t work on a set percentage or a fixed calculation. Every case is judged on its own facts, weighing up what one person needs to live on against what the other can reasonably afford. This is different from child maintenance, which does follow a formula.
Courts increasingly favour shorter, defined terms over lifelong payments. The idea is to bridge a gap while someone gets back on their feet financially, not to create a permanent arrangement. That said, longer marriages, health issues, or caring responsibilities can still lead to a longer or open-ended order in some cases.
We’ll help you understand where your case is likely to fall, based on how courts across England and Wales tend to approach similar situations, so you’re not negotiating blind.
Why Families Choose a McKenzie Friend
Why families choose a McKenzie Friend for Spousal Maintenance Disputes
Maintenance disputes are often where legal bills climb fastest. Every letter arguing over a figure, every phone call disputing a budget, adds another charge. And because there’s no fixed formula, disagreements over “what’s fair” can drag on for months.
We take a more grounded approach. We’ll sit down with you, work through the numbers properly, and give you an honest read on what’s realistic, not just what you’d like to hear. If your expectations don’t match how courts typically decide these cases, we’ll tell you early, so you’re not blindsided later.
If your case involves genuine complexity, perhaps a business, overseas assets, or a serious dispute over figures, we’ll flag that clearly and help you find the right specialist rather than take you further than we should.
Contact Us
Confidential, no-obligation consultation
For more information or to request a callback, please fill in the form below. A member of our team will respond shortly.
Tell us what’s happening and what you need.
We help you organise documents, write statements and know what to expect.
We are by your side for every hearing and every step after.
FAQs
We have provided answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about spousal maintenance. If you do have any further questions, never hesitate to get in touch with us.
Am I entitled to spousal maintenance?
There’s no automatic right to it. It depends on the gap between what you need and what you can earn, and on your ex’s ability to pay.
How long does spousal maintenance last?
Most orders now run for a fixed term. Joint lives orders, which continue until death or remarriage, are increasingly uncommon.
Does spousal maintenance end if I remarry?
Yes, remarriage automatically ends it. Moving in with a new partner doesn’t end it, but it can be grounds to apply for a reduction.
Is spousal maintenance taxed?
No. Payments are tax-neutral, meaning the recipient doesn’t pay tax on them, and the payer can’t claim tax relief.
Can a maintenance order be changed later?
Yes. Either party can apply to vary it if circumstances change significantly, such as a job loss or a big change in income.
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