How Long Will I Pay Alimony?

Besides figuring out child custody and parent-time, nothing in Utah divorce is a stressful as alimony.

No one, and I mean no one, likes paying alimony.

Husbands can’t stand it.

Wives loathe it (hint: if you’re a woman, there’s a very small chance you’ll pay alimony. It shouldn’t matter that you’re a woman, but it does, and women almost never pay their ex-husband’s alimony.)

Combine the fact no one likes paying alimony with the fact it’s is one of the least predictable issues in Utah divorce, alimony creates a lot of stress.

Today, let’s address one aspect of alimony: how long you will pay it.

Utah law limits the time you will have to pay divorce to the length of your marriage.

Now, that doesn’t mean you will actually pay alimony for the entire length of your marriage. It does mean that’s a possibility.

In fact, you may not pay alimony at all.

For example, if you have a short-term marriage (usually less than 4–5 years), you like won’t pay any alimony.

However, if you have been married 20 years, then up to 20 years of alimony is on the table.

Now, if we’re helping the person paying alimony, our job is to decrease the amount paid per month and the length of time our client will pay alimony.

Regarding length of time, we work for ½ or less of the length of the marriage.

So, on that 20-year-marriage, we’re looking for our client to pay alimony for 10 years or less.

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If you find yourself facing a Utah divorce, please call 801.685.9999 for an in-person consultation, or use our online scheduling tool.