• How much alimony will be paid?
• How long will I receive or have to pay alimony? 
• Can alimony be modified in the future as circumstances change?

There is no absolute right under Connecticut law to receive alimony and/or spousal support. A judge determines whether alimony is warranted given the facts of a particular case and, if so, then determines the term and amount of alimony to be paid. The main factors that the court considers is set forth in General Statutes 46b-82. These factors include the following: 

• Length of the marriage: Generally, the longer the marriage, the more likely that an alimony and/or spousal support order will be awarded
• Age and health of the parties: The health and age of each spouse are also factors that may be considered by a judge when determining spousal support. If one spouse has health issues that prevent them from working or require ongoing medical care, this may be taken into account.

• Occupation, earning capacity, vocational skills, education, employability, and amount and sources of income of each party

• Needs of each of the parties

• Estates of the parties and asset division award: In determining whether to award alimony, the amount of alimony, and the term of alimony, the court will consider what awards of asset division were made pursuant to General Statutes 46b-81.

• Causes of the breakdown of the marriage: Despite Connecticut being a “no-fault” divorce state, meaning there does not have to be any showing of wrongdoing for a divorce to be granted, the issue of fault may be relevant to a spousal support determination.

The court’s generally think of alimony terms based on one of the following models:

• Temporary: Also known as pendente lite alimony. Temporary alimony can be ordered to help a spouse make ends meet during the divorce process, which can take anywhere from six months to a year or more to complete.
• Rehabilitative: Rehabilitative alimony is paid only until the receiving spouse is able to become financially self-sufficient. This may apply if the receiving spouse just needs time to prepare themselves to be independent and return to the workplace. Rehabilitative alimony is paid for a fixed term.
• Permanent: This type of alimony and/or spousal support does not have a set end date except in the event of death, remarriage of the recipient spouse, or potentially pursuant to cohabiitation statute.

The amount of alimony to be paid can be a fixed amount of dollars per week or month or can be based on a percentage of income. There are important strategic considerations at play in determining whether to have alimony set at a specific dollar amount versus a percentage based order.

If you anticipate that alimony will be a contested issue in an upcoming divorce or separation, there is too much on the line for you to navigate the process without legal representation. Speak with an alimony and/or spousal support attorney today. Speak to an experienced family attorney to understand your options related to alimony.