Nevada's rule on alimony turns on a feature the national template does not capture: Nevada calls it alimony. Discretionary under factors recognized in Nevada case law (career support given, disparity of income, duration of marriage, and more). No statutory percentage formula. Forms include Temporary, rehabilitative, and longer-term alimony; lump-sum alimony is available.. The controlling authority is Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150. Duration: Duration is equitable; rehabilitative awards track a plan for employment or training. Termination: Death, remarriage, or a decree end date; cohabitation may justify modification.
Key takeaways
- Nevada uses the term alimony under Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150.
- Amount and duration are largely discretionary, guided by statutory factors. Discretionary under factors recognized in Nevada case law (career support given, disparity of income, duration of marriage, and more). No statutory percentage formula.
- Common forms include: Temporary, rehabilitative, and longer-term alimony; lump-sum alimony is available.
- Duration framework: Duration is equitable; rehabilitative awards track a plan for employment or training.
- Permanent / indefinite support: Possible in long marriages with lasting disparity, but often structured as modifiable periodic alimony.
- Companion child-support guide: Nevada child support guidelines.
Worked example under Nevada law
The illustration below uses only rules already stated for Nevada. It is a research hypothetical, not a prediction of what a court will do.
One spouse asks a Nevada court for alimony after a divorce filing.
- Use the label and statute Nevada actually uses: alimony under Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150.
- There is no formula. Apply the statutory factors: Discretionary under factors recognized in Nevada case law (career support given, disparity of income, duration of marriage, and more). No statutory percentage formula.
- Set duration from Nevada rules: Duration is equitable; rehabilitative awards track a plan for employment or training.
- Identify what ends the award: Death, remarriage, or a decree end date; cohabitation may justify modification.
Possible in long marriages with lasting disparity, but often structured as modifiable periodic alimony. Fault: Nevada is a no-fault divorce state; fault is generally not central to alimony. Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Nevada has no state income tax.
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 Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 125B.070, 125B.080) 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 Nevada's statutory framework.
Eligibility and statutory factors
Discretionary under factors recognized in Nevada case law (career support given, disparity of income, duration of marriage, and more). No statutory percentage formula.
Fault. Nevada is a no-fault divorce state; fault is generally not central to alimony.
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 Nevada
Temporary, rehabilitative, and longer-term alimony; lump-sum alimony is available.
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
Nevada 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; rehabilitative awards track a plan for employment or training.
Permanent / indefinite support. Possible in long marriages with lasting disparity, but often structured as modifiable periodic alimony.
When alimony ends or can be changed
Death, remarriage, or a decree end date; cohabitation may justify modification.
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 Nevada-specific.
Taxes
Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Nevada has no state income tax.
Child support remains non-deductible and non-taxable. Do not assume alimony treatment mirrors child support.
Case law: how Nevada courts decide alimony
These LawDiver opinions illustrate how Nevada appellate courts discuss need, ability to pay, duration, and related issues:
MARQUIS & AURBACH, and TERRY A. COFFING, Esq., Petitioners, v. THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, in and for THE
…r amount of the fee “is contingent . . . upon the amount of alimony or support, or property settlement in lieu thereof.” After the fee dispute arbitration committee ultimately upheld the contingency fee agreement and awarded the entire amount of the fee, the district court entered judgment on this award. In doing so, the district court denied the firm its fees incurred in obtai…
On alimony, MARQUIS & AURBACH, and TERRY A. COFFING, Esq., Petitioners, v. THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, in and for THE speaks to the Nevada dispute in this passage: "After the fee dispute arbitration committee ultimately upheld the contingency fee agreement and awarded the entire amount of the fee, the district court entered judgment on this award." The surrounding opinion shows how the court applied that language to the record.
RICHARD E. WILLIAMS, Appellant, v. MARCIE C. WILLIAMS, Respondent
RICHARD E. WILLIAMS, Appellant, v. MARCIE C. WILLIAMS, Respondent, 120 Nev. 559 (2004)
…’s policy in refusing to recognize common-law marriages or palimony suits. In the putative spouse doctrine, the parties have actually attempted to enter into a formal relationship with the solemnization of a marriage ceremony, a missing element in common-law marriages and palimony suits. As a majority of our sister states have recognized, the sanctity of marriage is not undermi…
Practitioners open RICHARD E. WILLIAMS, Appellant, v. MARCIE C. WILLIAMS, Respondent when Nevada alimony turns on the distinction in this sentence: "In the putative spouse doctrine, the parties have actually attempted to enter into a formal relationship with the solemnization of a marriage ceremony, a missing element in common-law marriages and palimony suits." Do not lift it out of the facts the court was deciding.
Practical checklist
- Identify the correct statutory label (alimony) and controlling section (Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150).
- Assemble income, budget, and health evidence for both spouses.
- For rehabilitative requests, prepare a concrete plan and timeline.
- Address fault only if Nevada law makes it relevant to eligibility or amount.
- Search LawDiver for recent Nevada decisions before mediation.
- Cross-check child support interactions via the Nevada child support guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada still award permanent alimony?
Possible in long marriages with lasting disparity, but often structured as modifiable periodic alimony.
How is alimony calculated in Nevada?
Nevada leaves amount largely to judicial discretion under Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150, guided by statutory factors rather than a mandatory statewide calculator.
How long do I have to be married to receive alimony?
Duration is equitable; rehabilitative awards track a plan for employment or training. 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 a decree end date; cohabitation may justify modification.
Is alimony taxable?
Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Nevada has no state income tax.
Where can I read Nevada alimony opinions?
Open the cases linked above or search LawDiver scoped to Nevada. For support of children, see the Nevada child support guidelines guide.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Nevada alimony and is not legal advice. Confirm the current text of Nev. Rev. Stat. § 125.150 and consult a licensed Nevada family-law attorney before acting on any rule described here.