Financial obligations stemming from marriage can last for years after a divorce. When divorcing couples have children together, one parent may pay child support until the children become independent adults.
In some cases, one spouse may need to provide ongoing financial support for the other. Alimony can be a contentious element in any divorce. Also sometimes known as spousal support or spousal maintenance, alimony can come in one of two forms under state law. The courts can order lump-sum alimony where they require that one spouse provide a certain amount of financial support to the other.
Ongoing support paid on a monthly basis is also possible and is a more common form of alimony. One spouse makes monthly payments to the other to help them maintain financial independence. How long does alimony typically last after a divorce?
Until the end of the order
Alimony orders typically require a specific duration of payments. Factors including the health and financial circumstances of the spouses can influence how long alimony lasts.
In many cases, the purpose of alimony is rehabilitation. Payments last for a few years to allow one spouse to go back to school or reenter the workforce. The length of the marriage can also influence the duration of alimony. In many cases, one spouse has to continue making alimony payments to the other until they fulfill the terms of the order.
Until the recipient remarries
Either spouse may begin a new romantic relationship after the divorce. If the paying spouse remarries, the need to support their new spouse does not absolve them of their financial obligation to their former spouse.
However, things are different if the recipient remarries. When a lower-earning or dependent spouse who receives spousal support remarries after their divorce, their new spouse then has an obligation to support them financially. The remarriage of the recipients is grounds for early termination of an alimony order.
In some cases, other factors ranging from good fortune and career advancement on the part of the recipient spouse to major medical challenges and bad fortune for the paying spouse could lead to an alimony modification. The death of either party also typically ends the alimony order.
Alimony payments can be a source of contention between spouses who may disagree about the necessity of alimony, as well as how long it should last or how much the payments should be. Learning more about the rules that govern spousal support or maintenance can help people as they negotiate the terms of a divorce.
