Why would we not have/use spousal support guidelines?

I read an article on spousal support calculations on CBC’s website that says “National guidelines on how much support money should be paid to a spouse when a marriage fails have been readily adopted in British Columbia and Ontario, but other provinces have been slow to apply them, says a new study. Quebec, in particular, has shown reluctance to use the 2008 guidelines in its court hearings and family-practice mediations.

In the article, one  Toronto divorce lawyer commented that these guidelines changed his family law practice. Now, the expections of spouses can be better managed, where as without the guidelines, it’s every body’s guess as to what the amount of spousal support will be.

I am no lawyer, or judge, but does it not make sense to have some guidelines? Why would we not want to use them. How does that help any one? If the guidelines need to be refined, then, let’s do that. I can totally see how the guidelines help the negotiation process and ultimately the relationship between the spouses and keep the cost of divorce /lawyer’s fees down.

If I am missing something, please tell me. I’d like to know. I think a lot of divorcing people would like to know too since finance is a huge part of a divorce settlement. That impacts not just the spouses, but also the children even though it is not child support. If a spouse does not get enough alimony, wouldn’t they take some out of the child support payments? I know it is supposed to be separate, but if you can’t live on what you have, it’s almost natural to live off the pool of money you have. Afterall, there is no accounting for how the child support money is spent. That’s another story. So, back to the spousal support guidelines. I think it is a good thing.

Martha Chan is the co-owner and V.P. Marketing of Divorce Marketing Group, Family Lawyer Magazine and Divorce Magazine. She is responsible for all online and offline marketing initiatives of the company, and is the Editorial Director for Family Lawyer Magazine and Divorce Magazine. She is married to Dan Couvrette and is a step mother of two sons. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook. She can be reached at (866) 803-6667 ex. 136 or marthac@divorcemarketinggroup.com.