Alimony — also called spousal support or maintenance — is a payment from one spouse to another after separation or divorce. It's designed to help the lower-earning spouse maintain a reasonable standard of living while transitioning to financial independence. Not every divorce involves alimony, and the rules vary significantly by state.
Courts consider the length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning capacity, age, health, contributions to the marriage (including homemaking), and the standard of living established during the marriage.
Temporary alimony covers the period during the divorce. Rehabilitative alimony helps a spouse get education or training to become self-supporting. Permanent alimony (increasingly rare) continues indefinitely, typically in long marriages where one spouse can't become self-supporting.
A common guideline is alimony lasting half the length of the marriage for marriages under 20 years. For very long marriages (20+ years), support may continue indefinitely, especially if the receiving spouse is older or has health issues.
Significant changes in circumstances — job loss, retirement, remarriage of the receiving spouse, cohabitation with a new partner — can be grounds for modifying or ending alimony. You'll need to petition the court.
For divorces finalized after December 31, 2018, alimony is no longer tax-deductible for the payer or taxable income for the recipient. This changed the economics significantly and affects how alimony amounts are negotiated.
More on this topic: Family Law & Divorce
Need a family law attorney? Browse lawyers for Family Law & Divorce
NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.