Does alimony have to be paid for the entire length of the marriage?

In California, alimony, or spousal support, is not required to be paid for the entire length of the marriage. Alimony is generally awarded for a period of time, allowing the receiving spouse to become self-supporting. Alimony is typically determined by the length of the marriage. Generally, those married for less than 10 years are subject to short-term alimony, awarded for no more than half the length of the marriage. For example, if a couple was married for six years, alimony would be awarded for three years. Alimony is typically meant to help the recipient become financially independent after the end of the marriage. In California, the duration of alimony payments is dependent on factors such as the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage, the length of the marriage, the earning capability of both parties, and any other issues such as the age of the parties, the need of one party for education or training to become economically self-sufficient, and the ability of each party to pay. The court also considers the fact that not all marriages last for the same length of time. If both parties are agreeable, alimony may be modified or completely terminated before the length originally determined by the court. The court can also modify or terminate alimony if one party experiences a significant decrease in income. Ultimately, the duration of alimony payments varies from case to case.

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Does alimony have to be paid for the entire length of the marriage?

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