Spousal Support & Alimony
Alimony is not automatic, and the rules vary widely by state. Learn the types of spousal support, the factors courts use to decide whether and how much to award, how long it lasts, and when alimony can be modified or terminated.
All Spousal Support & Alimony guides
- How to Get Alimony Without a Lawyer (and When You Still Need One)
Yes, you can request alimony without a lawyer. How to ask for spousal support in a divorce, get it in a mutual divorce, and when to hire help.
- Can I Get Alimony If We Weren't Married? Common-Law Marriage and Palimony
Not legally married? Alimony usually requires a marriage, but common-law marriage or a palimony claim may apply. Rules vary sharply by state.
- Does Adultery Affect Alimony? How Cheating Impacts Spousal Support
Whether an affair changes alimony depends on your state. How fault, no-fault, and dissipation of marital money affect spousal support in CA, TX, and beyond.
- Can I Stop Paying Alimony When I Retire?
Retiring doesn't automatically end alimony. Learn when retirement counts as a change of circumstances, how to file to modify, and why you can't just stop paying.
- How Long Does Alimony Last?
How long alimony lasts depends on the type of support and your state. Learn temporary, rehabilitative, and permanent terms and what ends payments.
- Can I Get Alimony Even If I Have a Job or Work?
Yes, working does not automatically disqualify you from alimony. Learn how courts weigh income gaps, need, and earning capacity, and what to do next.
- Can Alimony Be Reduced? How to Modify Spousal Support
Yes, alimony can often be reduced when income or circumstances change. Learn how to file a modification motion, what counts, and when it won't work.
- Can I Get Alimony If We Don't Have Kids?
Yes - alimony has nothing to do with kids. It is based on income, need, and the length of your marriage. Here is how spousal support actually works.
- Does Remarriage or Living Together End Alimony?
If the person receiving alimony remarries, support usually ends automatically. Cohabitation can end it too, but often only after a motion and proof.
- Can I Stop Paying Alimony? Legal Ways to End Spousal Support
Yes, alimony can end - but rarely by just stopping payment. Learn the legal ways to terminate or modify spousal support and how to file.
- Can I Avoid Paying Alimony in a Divorce?
Legitimate ways to reduce or avoid alimony before a divorce decree, the myths that backfire, and why bankruptcy won't erase spousal support.
- Can I Get Alimony? Who Qualifies for Spousal Support in a Divorce
Who qualifies for alimony (spousal support) in a divorce, the factors judges weigh, how Texas and California differ, and practical steps to ask for it.
- Can I Get Alimony After the Divorce Is Already Final?
Usually no: once a divorce is final, the window to claim alimony has closed. Learn the rare exceptions and why you must act fast.
- Can a Husband Get Alimony From His Wife?
Yes. Alimony is gender-neutral in every state. Learn when a husband can get spousal support from his wife or ex-wife, and how to ask for it.
- Can I Get Alimony During Separation or Before Divorce?
Yes, most states let a lower-earning spouse get temporary (pendente lite) support before the divorce is final. Here's how to ask and what to expect.
- How Long Do You Have to Be Married to Get Alimony?
No minimum marriage length is usually required for alimony. See how 1, 5, and 10+ year marriages affect whether, how much, and how long you get support.