Do I qualify for alimony after 14 years of marriage?

Question

Do I qualify for alimony after 14 years of marriage while being a housewife?

David Holcomb · Answer

It depends. In the State of Nebraska, courts evaluate and consider multiple factors for awarding alimony, including, but not strictly limited to:

- how long the parties were married;
- the totality of circumstances of each spouse
- each spouse's marital contribution(s) throughout the marriage 
- whether one spouse had their advanced or specialized education or career interrupted

Daniel J. Pingelton · Answer

It depends on several factors.

Shumsha Hanif-Cruz · Answer

Without knowing more facts about your case, generally a person married for over 10 years is entitled to an order for permanent spousal support. So to answer you question simply, yes, you should be entitled to alimony (spousal support) after 14 years of marriage.

Glenn Tanner · Answer

Maybe.

Gregory Crain · Answer

Yes.

Louis Leibowitz · Answer

Yes.

Zari Hadjian · Answer

Yes.

Mark Petersen · Answer

Idaho does not have alimony. You may qualify for spousal maintenance but spousal maintenance is not guaranteed in Idaho. The court, after reviewing the relevant factors in the Idaho Code (http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title32/T32CH7SECT32-705.htm) would then decide if spousal support is appropriate or not.

Mary Milek · Answer

One of the hardest questions to answer with a new client is "will I get alimony?"  I can?t answer that with a yes or no.  I can give percentages based on the financial information provided and knowledge of the judges in my practice area, but it?s still hard to say with any great deal of accuracy.  Alimony is not as common as it once was and the Chancellors have wide discretion. I know one that will not consider it for a marriage of less than twenty years. Another I know might give it after a trial, but will not grant temporary alimony.  Many Chancellors will only award it to prevent destitution, but only if the other party can afford to pay it.  It really boils down to the financial condition of both parties.

Michael Edwards · Answer

Alimony isn't the kind of thing that you either qualify for, or don't qualify for.  Rather, it is based upon an analysis of your financial need for alimony, and your husband's ability to meet that need.  You need to consult with a good attorney, to analyze these issues, given your circumstances.  Good luck!

Michael Stowell · Answer

In Washington State payments for the support of a spouse after a divorce are called maintenance, not alimony.  The monthly amount and the length of the term of payment of maintenance are ordered based on several factors: 1. Need of the requesting party; 2. Ability of the other party to pay; 3. Length of the marriage; 4. The time needed for education/retraining for employment of the receiving spouse; 5. Age and Physical/Emotional health of recipient; 6. Standard of living established during the marriage.   Depending on those factors a 14 year marriage may qualify you to receive maintenance.

Roianne Houlton Conner · Answer

If you have been a housewife for the entire 14 years and have no skills in which to return to the workforce, then you would qualify for at least rehabilitative alimony, maybe not periodic alimony.

Michael Dungan · Answer

Maybe, probably, there are many factors to consider other than length of marriage, such as need, ability to pay, and ratio of income to each other.

Dave Hawkins · Answer

There are no qualifications for an award of maintenance. The decision as to whether maintenance is appropriate in an individual case is based on the need of the person requesting maintenance and the ability of the potential payer to pay.

Angela McIlveen · Answer

In NC, alimony is based on a number of factors. The first question that needs answering is whether a person is a dependent spouse. A dependent spouse is someone who either doesn't work or makes significantly less than their spouse and they rely on their spouse for their support. The second question that is important is how much does the dependent spouse need to live once he/she moves out and can the person get a job. There are a lot of factors involved in determining alimony. I suggest you contact an attorney about the particular facts of your case.

Dorothy Spinelli · Answer

Typically, alimony is awarded to housewives, but usually with children for a third of the time of the marriage, in this case maybe 5 years.  But it depends on your ability to earn an income.  Once an income reaches $40,000ish, the courts are less incline to award alimony.  This is in general terms.  There is no black and white law on alimony.  Its up to the Judge if the other spouse does not agree.

Lynda Leblanc · Answer

Indiana does not have alimony.  In Indiana there are three types of spousal maintenance that are provided for under the statutes.  1. Rehabilitative Maintenance - this is for a maximum of three years and is to help the non-working spouse to re-enter the workforce.  If you are seeking rehabilitative maintenance, then you should have a plan as to how you are going to re-enter the workforce, what training you will need and the cost of the training.  2. Maintenance for a disabled spouse - this can be permanent, but is also modifiable.  The spouse requesting maintenance has to be unable to work and/or earn income due to a physical or mental disability.  The court then looks at the length of the marriage, the funds available to the disabled spouse, the financial needs of the disabled spouse and the ability of the other spouse to pay.  3.  Maintenance for caring for a disabled child - The child's disability must be so severe that one parent is unable to work because of his/her duties in caring for the child.  The court then looks to the financial needs of the disabled child and parent caregiver and the other parent's ability to pay.  However, while the divorce is pending you may be entitled to provisional maintenance.  During the provisional period, the court looks to the status quo during the marriage and wants to make sure all bills are being paid.  However, with current economic times and the parties now having to support two households, you should not count on everything being paid by your Husband.

Tina Fox · Answer

If you were a housewife for the 14 years that you were married, then yes, you qualify for alimony, now known as maintenance. If you were or are employed, you may still qualify, but there are certain questions that would need to be answered.

Dean Esposito · Answer

In order to receive spousal support (alimony), you must that you are in need of it (your bills exceed your income) and your husband has the ability to pay (his income exceeds his expenses).

Joanna Mitchell · Answer

Length of marriage is only one consideration. Need and ability to pay are the main considerations. You should consult with an attorney before agreeing to anything or making any decisions.

Frances Headley · Answer

Temporary support is available to all spouses who need help transitioning to a new life and working situation after dissolution. This typically lasts until the case is concluded.  Further, permanent support is available to spouses coming from long term marriages.  Long term marriage being defined as 10 years or more.  How long that lasts depends upon the facts of each case.

William M. Quitmeier · Answer

In all likelihood you will be able to receive alimony (now called maintenance). bill

Steven D. Dunnings · Answer

You are in a good position to raise that issue, there are other factors to determine if you should get it, how much, how long and whether your husband can afford to pay

Elizabeth Jones · Answer

Spousal Support is based upon need, ability to pay, health of the parties and other factors. If you have been a stay home mom, you will probably get spousal support for a while.

Elizabeth Zwiebel · Answer

In Alabama alimony may be considered for a long term marriage.  A long term marriage is one that is over 10 years in duration.

Steven Burkhalter · Answer

Alimony or spousal maintenance as it is called in Washington State, is governed by several factors, as set forth in RCW 26.09.09, as follows: (a) The financial resources of the party seeking maintenance, including separate or community property apportioned to him or her, and his or her ability to meet his or her needs independently, including the extent to which a provision for support of a child living with the party includes a sum for that party; (b) The time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find employment appropriate to his or her skill, interests, style of life, and other attendant circumstances; (c) The standard of living established during the marriage or domestic partnership; (d) The duration of the marriage or domestic partnership; (e) The age, physical and emotional condition, and financial obligations of the spouse or domestic partner seeking maintenance; and (f) The ability of the spouse or domestic partner from whom maintenance is sought to meet his or her needs and financial obligations while meeting those of the spouse or domestic partner seeking maintenance.

Christina Maria Soberon-Llort · Answer

You could, depending on various factors such as your spouse's ability to pay alimony, your ability to go into the workforce, what your roles/expectations were during the marriage in terms of employment, etc.

Loren Zahn · Answer

The length of your marrige is only one factor to consider when the court makes orders for spousal support. The relative earnings of the parties is usually the most important consideration when making an order for temporary support.

Mandy McKellar · Answer

Depends on the financial circumstances of the parties. Alimony in Nevada is based on the financial need and the ability to pay the other party. Most of the time the court will typically set it for half the length of the marriage, barring any kind of financial misconduct.

Timothy Byrne · Answer

The determining factor is not the length of the marriage in Mississippi.

Hayley Silverberg · Answer

That depends. The court will consider several factors when considering whether to award either party spousal support. The length of the marriage is only one of the factors.

John Brennan · Answer

There are a whole series of factors and indicia as to whether or not a spouse qualifies for alimony. A include income disparity, length of the marriage, health issues, levels of education and others. Therefore it is impossible to answer your question as to whether or not may or may not qualify for spousal support, which is the current term for was called alimony based solely upon 14 years of marriage. I would suggest that you counsel with an attorney.

Barbara Peyton · Answer

Yes.  Spousal support is based on the length of the marriage, both parties' ability to work, income of both parties and several other factors.  You will need copies of the last two years tax returns to prove your spouse's ability to pay support.

John Kirchner · Answer

There are no set rules for alimony in Colorado. You obviously are justified in asking for support if you are not currently capable of meeting all your reasonable needs. Without any other information about your fact situation an opinion of your success isn't possible because the judicial ruling, if you and your spouse cannot agree, will involve a balancing of your needs against your husband's ability to pay. That decision will probably involve more a question of how much and for how long should you receive financial support.

Merritt Weisinger · Answer

3-26-12  Most likely.  There is definitely jurisdiction over this issue as it is a long term marriage in California.  That has consequences meaning that jurisdiction is ongoing.  If he is working you can collect spousal support. You too however may have an obligation to become employed and to contribute to your own upkeep.  Temporary support is determined on a computer program. Permanent, ie. long term support is determined by specific statutory guidelines.   You need to have pending litigation to have a court order support.

Cassandra Savoy · Answer

Generally, the right the alimony inures after ten years of marriage.

Anne Kiske · Answer

In Missouri, the test for alimony is complicated and very much based on the facts of each case.  To paraphrase and simply the test it is: whether or not the spouse who is requesting alimony is able to meet his/her reasonable needs with his/her expected income and the assets set aside to him/her in the dissolution, and if not, then whether the spouse who is paying is able to meet his/her reasonable needs and provide for the needs of the other spouse.  Other considerations include, but are not limited to: whether there was spousal abuse; whether there is a medical condition of either spouse; whether there are young children in the home, etc.

Gregory Graf · Answer

If you were a housewife for 14 years, you will most certainly qualify to receive maintenance.  There are a number of factors that go into the determination but it is safe to say you will receive maintenance for some period of time.

Michael Dehaven · Answer

There is no amount of time that automatically "qualifies" you for alimony. However, the "duration of the marriage" is one of 12 factors that a Judge must consider in determining whether to award alimony. You should contact an attorney to discuss the evidence and the factors that would be considered if you want to pursue a divorce and request alimony.

Stuart Collis · Answer

The answer is an unqualified maybe.  Spousal support is designed to put  a lower income earning spouse in a position they would have been had the  marriage continued.  However, it is not indefinite.  It is meant only  for enough time to get the lower paying spouse to start earning her own  independent income and adjust to life after divorce.

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