Connecticut Alimony: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration

Connecticut calls post-divorce spousal payments alimony. Awards are governed primarily by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82. This guide covers eligibility, how courts set amount and duration, when support ends, and how Connecticut case law frames the analysis. Open linked opinions in LawDiver for the full text.

Primary keywords: Connecticut alimony, CGS 46b-82, Connecticut divorce alimony factors, pendente lite alimony Connecticut

Key takeaways

• Connecticut uses the term alimony under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82.
• Amount and duration are largely discretionary, guided by statutory factors. Discretionary multi-factor analysis: length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, station, occupation, estate, and needs. No percentage formula.
• Common forms include: Pendente lite and post-judgment alimony; awards may be time-limited or open-ended depending on the facts.
• Duration framework: Duration is equitable and case-specific; longer marriages more often support longer or modifiable awards.
• Permanent / indefinite support: Yes, in appropriate long-marriage cases, subject to modification and termination events.
• Companion child-support guide: Connecticut child support guidelines.

What alimony is (and is not)

Alimony is court-ordered support from one spouse to the other after separation or divorce. It is separate from child support (see Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-215a, 46b-215b; Connecticut Child Support Guidelines) and from property division. A single judgment may include all three, but each has its own legal tests.

No spouse is automatically entitled to alimony. Courts typically ask whether one party has a genuine need and whether the other has the ability to pay, then apply Connecticut's statutory framework.

Eligibility and statutory factors

Discretionary multi-factor analysis: length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, station, occupation, estate, and needs. No percentage formula.

Fault. Causes for the dissolution (including fault) are an express statutory factor.

Document income, earning capacity, health, length of marriage, contributions as homemaker or to the other spouse's career, and the marital standard of living. Those facts drive both temporary (pendente lite) and final awards.

Types of alimony in Connecticut

Pendente lite and post-judgment alimony; awards may be time-limited or open-ended depending on the facts.

Labeling matters. Rehabilitative awards usually require a plan (schooling, retraining, re-entry to the workforce). Durational or term awards run for a fixed period. Lump-sum or reimbursement awards may be non-modifiable depending on the judgment language and statute.

How amount is set

Connecticut does not use a statewide calculator for final alimony. Judges weigh the statutory factors and the record. Online “alimony calculators” are at best rough illustrations and are not controlling.

Temporary support while a divorce is pending often follows different local practices or guidelines than the final award. Confirm what your county or division actually uses.

How long alimony lasts

Duration is equitable and case-specific; longer marriages more often support longer or modifiable awards.

Permanent / indefinite support. Yes, in appropriate long-marriage cases, subject to modification and termination events.

When alimony ends or can be changed

Death, remarriage, or cohabitation under statutory standards; court-ordered end dates also control.

Either party may usually seek modification upon a substantial change in circumstances unless the award was expressly made non-modifiable. Retirement, disability, remarriage, cohabitation, and large income swings are frequent triggers — but the statutory test and burden of proof are Connecticut-specific.

Taxes

Federal TCJA rules apply to post-2018 decrees. Connecticut state tax treatment generally tracks the federal characterization for those instruments.

Child support remains non-deductible and non-taxable. Do not assume alimony treatment mirrors child support.

Case law: how Connecticut courts decide alimony

These LawDiver opinions illustrate how Connecticut appellate courts discuss need, ability to pay, duration, and related issues:

Araxie Markarian v. Herache Markarian

Araxie Markarian v. Herache Markarian, 2 Conn. App. 14 (1984)

…ecifically, the plaintiff claims that the award of periodic alimony is inadequate both in amount and duration. The plaintiff and the defendant were married in 1947. Dissolution proceedings were instituted in 1981 and, in 1982, the matter was heard by a state referee. After finding that the marriage between the parties had broken down and allocating their property, the referee o…

Use this decision — and the surrounding Connecticut appellate line — when briefing need, ability to pay, duration, or modification of alimony.

Joan Barrett Pittsinger Grinold v. Raymond Wade Grinold

Joan Barrett Pittsinger Grinold v. Raymond Wade Grinold, 172 Conn. 192 (1976)

…nting the defendant husband’s motion to modify or terminate alimony. The court ordered that the alimony should be reduced to the rate of $50 per week and that all alimony should terminate by the end of three years, upon the parties’ youngest child reaching the age of twenty-one years. The plaintiff wife has appealed to this court. By judgment rendered January 20, 1967, the plai…

Use this decision — and the surrounding Connecticut appellate line — when briefing need, ability to pay, duration, or modification of alimony.

Ann Jacobsen v. Philip G. Jacobsen

Ann Jacobsen v. Philip G. Jacobsen, 177 Conn. 259 (1979)

…which modified a prior judgment by terminating an award of alimony. The plaintiff and defendant were married on February 23, 1952; on August 24, 1972, the plaintiff was granted a divorce. The court in its decree incorporated by reference a stipulation of the parties relating to alimony, support and custody of two minor children. Custody of one of the children, Kevin, was award…

Use this decision — and the surrounding Connecticut appellate line — when briefing need, ability to pay, duration, or modification of alimony.

Diane A. Scoville v. Homer G. Scoville

Diane A. Scoville v. Homer G. Scoville, 179 Conn. 277 (1979)

…udgment included, inter alia, the following order regarding alimony: “The defendant shall pay the plaintiff alimony of $100.00 per week for a period of three years from the date of this memorandum. At the end of the three year period, the payment order of alimony shall terminate.” *278The sole issne on this appeal is whether that alimony order is modifiable. In September of 197…

Use this decision — and the surrounding Connecticut appellate line — when briefing need, ability to pay, duration, or modification of alimony.

Practical checklist

• Identify the correct statutory label (alimony) and controlling section (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82).
• Assemble income, budget, and health evidence for both spouses.
• For rehabilitative requests, prepare a concrete plan and timeline.
• Address fault only if Connecticut law makes it relevant to eligibility or amount.
• Search LawDiver for recent Connecticut decisions before mediation.
• Cross-check child support interactions via the Connecticut child support guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does Connecticut still award permanent alimony?

Yes, in appropriate long-marriage cases, subject to modification and termination events.

How is alimony calculated in Connecticut?

Connecticut leaves amount largely to judicial discretion under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82, guided by statutory factors rather than a mandatory statewide calculator.

How long do I have to be married to receive alimony?

Duration is equitable and case-specific; longer marriages more often support longer or modifiable awards. Short marriages rarely produce long-term awards; longer marriages support broader remedies where the statute allows.

Does remarriage or cohabitation end alimony?

Death, remarriage, or cohabitation under statutory standards; court-ordered end dates also control.

Is alimony taxable?

Federal TCJA rules apply to post-2018 decrees. Connecticut state tax treatment generally tracks the federal characterization for those instruments.

Where can I read Connecticut alimony opinions?

Open the cases linked above or search LawDiver scoped to Connecticut. For support of children, see the Connecticut child support guidelines guide.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about Connecticut alimony and is not legal advice. Confirm the current text of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82 and consult a licensed Connecticut family-law attorney before acting on any rule described here.