The court is required to have particular regard to eight specific factors. The weight to give each factor will depend on the circumstances of the particular case:

The financial resources of the parties - income, earning capacity and property at the time of the order and in the foreseeable future.
The present and future financial needs, obligations and responsibilities of the parties - usually includes costs such as housing, bills, food and travelling expenses.
The standard of living enjoyed by the family before the breakdown of the marriage - there is usually not enough in the pot for parties to maintain the same standard of living as they did together. The court will try to make sure that the drop in standard of living affects both parties.
The age of each party and the duration of the marriage - age is usually relevant to the question of whether or not either party can expect to find a job and what opportunities they have to obtain a mortgage or build a pension.
Any physical or mental disability of either party - Although disability will affect both the needs and resources of the affected party, the ex spouse will not necessarily be required to meet needs attributable to the disability.

	Created by Joanna Jenkins about 9 years ago

Overview of CILEX L3 Family Law