Alimony or spousal support can be ordered by a court during a divorce in New Jersey. The goal is to ensure that a former spouse doesn’t endure financial hardship.
For instance, if one person works and the other is a stay-at-home parent, the SAH parent may receive alimony because they expected their spouse to support them while they took care of the children. Taking away all of that financial support would be highly detrimental to their future.
But, how long is alimony going to last? It depends on a variety of factors, and each case is unique. Below are a few examples of how it can work.
Limited duration alimony
In most cases, the court is going to use short-term alimony. The maximum duration is the same as the length of the marriage. If you and your spouse were only married for five years before getting divorced, the absolute maximum duration for those alimony payments is also five years.
Keep in mind that the duration doesn’t have to be the same length as the marriage. A court may determine that your spouse will only need alimony for two years, and by then they should be able to support themselves. The court will consider factors like how long they’ve been out of the workforce, their ability to get a new job, their education level, their standard of living and much more.
Open durational alimony
In rare cases, the court can apply alimony without an end date. This usually means there are exceptional circumstances, and the marriage must be longer than 20 years. Often, alimony still terminates if that person reaches legal retirement age. But this type of long-term alimony is seldom used unless it is clear to the court that it’s necessary.
As you move through the divorce process, it’s important to understand all of your rights and legal options.