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"Glee" star's estranged spouse requests alimony

Alimony, also known as spousal maintenance, is a payment made to the spouse of lesser means in accordance with the divorce settlement agreement. Alimony is intended to compensate the lesser earning spouse for any economic unfairness that occurs as a result of the divorce. In Minnesota, the court looks at a variety of factors when calculating spousal maintenance, from the needs of the spouse to the length of the marriage.

Minnesota recently became the 12th state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. Like other states that have legalized same-sex marriage, same-sex couples are now privy to the many rights associated with both marriage and divorce. One person to recently learn this is actress and comedian Jane Lynch. Readers may be familiar with Lynch from her starring role on the award winning musical television series "Glee."

Recently it was announced that Lynch had separated from her long-time partner and currently estranged wife Lara Embry. While the couple has stated publicly that the separation is not dramatic, there has been a lot of media discussion concerning Embry's request for alimony. According to Embry, Lynch made a lot of money over the course of their marriage and she wants to sustain the lifestyle she enjoyed in that time.

Every spouse has the right to request alimony in a divorce proceeding. Unlike child support, which is generally mandated in accordance with strict statutory guidelines, the court has broad discretion to determine whether to award spousal maintenance, how much and for how long. Due to the many factors involved, it can be difficult to calculate alimony ahead of time. However, it is possible for the judge to make a determination regarding alimony that is fair to all parties involved.

Source: Huffington Post, "Jane Lynch: Lara Embry Requests Spousal Support In Divorce," Sept. 9, 2013

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