In re Marriage of Gust
Iowa Supreme Court
858 N.W.2d 402 (2015)
Steven Gust (plaintiff) petitioned to dissolve his roughly 27-year marriage to Linda Gust (defendant). Steven worked full time throughout the marriage while Linda primarily cared for their two children; after separating, Linda worked two part-time jobs. The trial court found Steven's earning capacity to be $92,000 and Linda's to be $22,500, and ordered Steven, then 57, to pay Linda $24,000 per year in permanent spousal support, without factoring in his eventual retirement (though he could later seek a modification once he retired). Steven appealed.
Whether a court awards spousal support when a spouse would otherwise be unable to become self-sufficient at a lifestyle reasonably comparable to the marital standard of living.