Spousal Support in Oregon Divorce Mediation

From July 2023 to January 2025, Beaverton divorce mediator Matthew House developed and meticulously refined an innovative five-pronged process for asset division and then adapted it for the other divorce-related decisions. Here is how it applies to spousal support:

Step 1. Disclose: You will share information with Matthew.

• Your questions and concerns
• Documents and information to provide to Matthew
• Information about your ages, any special needs they may have, your responsibilities for the care of children, any extraordinary expenses you now pay, and the student status of your adult children
• Each party's income, employment history, and current employment status
• Any life insurance policies now in effect insuring the life of either party​

Step 2. Define: Matthew will share information with you.

• Common misconceptions and incorrect assumptions
• Terms to know
• How to share expenses for shared assets, whether through spousal support or other means
• How spousal support is assessed if not in mediation
• Estimating a general range (there is no precise calculator) based on past cases
• Dates that affect the calculation of spousal support
• The usual duration of spousal support and options to shorten or extend it
• Applicable statutes and established norms​

Step 3. Discuss: Matthew will present your options holistically and review each of them with you.

• Thinking equitably about the big picture
• Best practices for calculating, exchanging, and modifying spousal support
• Alternative dispositions, even if not ideal
• Pro tips concerning spousal support
• Pitfalls to avoid concerning spousal support
• Short-term and long-term impact of the proposed spousal support payments, if any
• When spousal support typically begins, and how to alter the start date if both of you agree to do so​

Step 4. Decide and Draft: An MSA with your preferred stipulations, mindful of your desired outcome.

• Considerations to bolster the stability of the disposition or avoid undesirable outcomes
• Insurance requirements or other forms of security/assurance
• Framework and factors for modification/recalculation in the future​

Step 5: Dissolve and Divide: Post-divorce steps to bring your stipulations to fruition.

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Next Steps

The specific components relevant to each issue in the divorce mediation process are outlined in each respective subsection of the Topics to Address section.

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