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Jun 16, 2026
When divorce enters the conversation for families living throughout southwest Louisiana, it can often raise immediate concerns about finances and living costs. If you are in the middle of a divorce, understanding spousal support & alimony in Lake Charles and DeRidder is crucial. This is especially true if you left the workforce to care for children or support your spouse’s career, or if you were a stay-at-home parent throughout the majority of your marriage.
Spousal support disputes can have a direct impact on long-term financial security, regardless of whether a couple lived close to Ryan Street in Lake Charles, owned property outside of Highway 171 in DeRidder, or worked in local industries related to Fort Johnson, petrochemical plants, timber operations, or healthcare facilities.
About Godley Law Firm
Attorney William L. Godley understands family law issues from both professional and personal perspectives. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Godley was a professional musician who worked with people from all sorts of backgrounds all over southwest Louisiana.
Throughout his career, he has also experienced divorce himself and was raised by divorced parents. He understands the financial and emotional pressures that many clients feel when dealing with family law issues.
The Godley Law Firm helps clients all over Lake Charles, DeRidder, and surrounding communities with divorce, custody, and spousal support issues. We offer compassionate guidance while helping our clients work through these difficult life changes.
Understanding Alimony in Lake Charles and DeRidder
In Louisiana, the marriage rate was 3.7, and the divorce rate was significantly lower than the national average, showing a rate of 0.9 per 1,000. However, these statistics show that divorce does happen, with many of them having concerns regarding alimony.
Contrary to popular belief, courts do not automatically award alimony in every divorce. In Louisiana, courts decide whether one spouse requires financial assistance and whether the other spouse has the means to provide support. State alimony laws also differentiate between two types of spousal support, known as interim support and final periodic support.
Interim support may be awarded during the divorce process to help a spouse maintain the marital standard of living. For instance, if one spouse was the primary breadwinner and the other stayed home with children or worked part-time, the court may award temporary support until the divorce is final.
Final periodic support may also be awarded, but typically only if the spouse seeking support was not at fault in breaking up the marriage. Things like adultery, abandonment, and cruel treatment may be scrutinized by the court when determining whether or not to award long-term support.
Factors Courts Consider
When deciding whether or not to award support, courts look at each spouse’s financial situation and a number of other factors. Unlike some states, no formula automatically determines how much spouses should pay or receive in alimony. Some of these factors include:
- Each spouse’s income and financial potential
- Length of the marriage
- Child custody considerations
- Health and age of both spouses
- Monthly expenses and standard of living
- Education and job history
- Time required to obtain training or education
- Debts and financial obligations
If one spouse stayed home for years to raise children while the other worked at a chemical plant in Lake Charles, that spouse’s income potential may be drastically different than that of the spouse who provided the family income. Courts may also consider whether you had to sacrifice your career opportunities to stay home with children or if your spouse supported your career decisions.
When determining whether or not to award spousal support, courts aim to identify the financial needs of each spouse based on the circumstances of the marriage. Support is not meant to punish a spouse or serve as a reward, but instead allow both spouses to maintain their financial responsibilities and live as close to the standard of living as they did before.
Why Hire a Spousal Support Lawyer?
People going through a divorce may hire a spousal support lawyer for many different reasons. In some DeRidder spousal support cases, one spouse may be suspicious that the other is not being truthful or hiding assets.
In other cases, the divorcing couple is not able to agree with each other or communicate without contention. A Lake Charles spousal support attorney can help you address these issues and advocate for a fair outcome.
