Spousal support is a key issue for many divorced couples. It comes in many forms in the state of Alabama. From temporary spousal support and lump-sum alimony, to rehabilitative spousal support and periodic alimony, there are many ways that couples could become entangled in a spousal support arrangement.

There will be many factors used by a judge to determine if spousal support is necessary in any given case, but one factor that may go overlooked by the splitting spouses once spousal support is awarded is the habit of recordkeeping. Tracking your spousal support payments and making sure you have detailed records about payments sent or received is critical.

What this means is that whether you are the paying spouse or the receiving spouse, you should be keeping track of a number of things about your payments, including:

• When the payment was sent or received
• How much the payment was for
• What address it was sent to or received at
• What bank was used for the payment and the account number
• When the payment was cashed
• A copy of the check, if possible
• A self-made receipt if checks aren’t used, on that is signed by both parties to acknowledge the completion of a cash transaction

Keeping these records allows you to reference your spousal support history in case of any legal action that your former spouse may take or that you may take. It can also be used to show a judge if someone is either late on their payments or not using or misappropriating your payments.