Spousal Support
Ala. Code § 30-2-57 — rehabilitative alimony for up to five years first, and periodic alimony no longer than the marriage
The court awards alimony when it finds a spouse lacks a separate estate sufficient to keep the economic status quo of the marriage as far as possible, the other spouse can supply the means without undue hardship, and it is equitable.
Who handles this in Alabama: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
| Kind | How long |
|---|---|
| KindRehabilitative alimony, awarded first unless not feasible | How longNo more than five years, absent extraordinary circumstances |
| KindPeriodic alimony, where rehabilitation is not feasible or falls short | How longNo longer than the length of the marriage, unless the court finds a deviation equitably required; no limit after a marriage of 20 years or longer |
Decide it at the divorce, or lose it. If the divorce neither awards alimony nor reserves the court's power to award it, the court permanently loses that power.
Periodic alimony ends, on a party's petition, on proof that the spouse receiving it has remarried or is cohabiting with another person.
Sources for this section (2)
- Ala. Code § 30-2-57 — Rehabilitative or Periodic Alimony
- Ala. Code § 30-2-55 — Termination of Alimony Upon Remarriage or Cohabitation with Another Individual
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.