If your divorce trial involves alimony discussions, then you may be already thinking abiut how much money you should expect from your partner. Many factors determine the amount of alimony, and it is not easy to come up with a figure before the issue is determined in court. Here are four situations that predispose you to low alimony:

You Had a Brief Marriage

All factors held constant, the amount of alimony you may receive is proportional to the length of your marriage. The purpose of an alimony payment is to compensate the lower-earning spouse for the contribution he or she made to further the higher-earning spouse's career. For example, a spouse may agree to spend more time with the children enabling his or her partner to progress in his or her career or business. It makes sense that the longer you live together, the higher the contribution you made, and the reverse is also true.

You Maintained a Low Standard of Living During Marriage

Courts consider the standard or living you had before the marriage, which is known as the marital standard of living. This is necessary because the alimony you receive is supposed to help you continue living with a comparable standard of living. Therefore, if you didn't have a lot of money to spend during your marriage, then you may not get much alimony.

Your Partner Has a Low Financial Net Worth

One of the biggest factors determining the amount of alimony is the ability of the paying partner to make the payments.  Therefore, the courts will consider his or her sources of income including salary, profits, trust funds, and others. If all these don't amount to much when summed up, then you won't get a substantial alimony either.

You Have a High Earning Capacity

Another consideration will be your respective earning capacities. If you have a high earning capacity, then you may receive a relatively lower alimony than if you had a low earning capacity. If you are well educated, have the skills and have a reasonable experience in a strong industry, then you may be able to continue with a reasonable lifestyle without your former partners' alimony payments.

If you want to increase your alimony, then you have to counteract each of these arguments. For example, you have to show that you contributed a lot to the marriage, prove that your standard or living was high and that your partner has a high financial net worth. The input of a seasoned family legal team, such as the Law Office of Alan L Ruder, can go a long way in helping you increase your alimony.