Debt relief glossary
Alimony
Court-ordered spousal support payments from the higher-earning spouse to the lower-earning spouse after divorce.
Alimony (also called spousal support or spousal maintenance) is periodic financial support ordered by a court from one ex-spouse to the other when there is a significant income disparity and the lower-earning spouse needs support to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Alimony is not automatic — courts award it based on factors including: length of marriage, standard of living during the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, and contributions to the marriage. For divorces finalized after December 31, 2018 (under TCJA), alimony payments are neither deductible by the payer nor taxable income to the recipient. Duration typically tracks the length of the marriage at roughly 1 year of support for every 3 years of marriage, though long marriages (20+ years) can yield indefinite support.