Tennessee calls it alimony. Discretionary. Tennessee recognizes multiple statutory alimony types and applies factor lists—no percentage formula. Forms include Alimony in futuro, alimony in solido, rehabilitative alimony, and transitional alimony.. That is what separates Tennessee alimony from a generic national summary. Read Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121 before the background sections below. Duration: Rehabilitative and transitional awards are time-limited; alimony in futuro may be long-term or indefinite when rehabilitation is not feasible. Termination: Death or remarriage typically ends alimony in futuro; cohabitation may reduce or terminate support.
Eligibility and statutory factors
Discretionary. Tennessee recognizes multiple statutory alimony types and applies factor lists—no percentage formula.
Fault. Relative fault is a 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 Tennessee
Alimony in futuro, alimony in solido, rehabilitative alimony, and transitional alimony.
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
Tennessee 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.
A concrete Tennessee scenario
Here is one way the Tennessee pieces fit together. Change any fact and the statute may point somewhere else.
One spouse asks a Tennessee court for alimony after a divorce filing.
- Use the label and statute Tennessee actually uses: alimony under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121.
- There is no formula. Apply the statutory factors: Discretionary. Tennessee recognizes multiple statutory alimony types and applies factor lists—no percentage formula.
- Set duration from Tennessee rules: Rehabilitative and transitional awards are time-limited; alimony in futuro may be long-term or indefinite when rehabilitation is not feasible.
- Identify what ends the award: Death or remarriage typically ends alimony in futuro; cohabitation may reduce or terminate support.
Yes, as alimony in futuro when appropriate, subject to modification and statutory termination events. Fault: Relative fault is a statutory factor. TCJA: post-2018 alimony is not federally deductible/includible; Tennessee has no broad wage income tax.
How long alimony lasts
Rehabilitative and transitional awards are time-limited; alimony in futuro may be long-term or indefinite when rehabilitation is not feasible.
Permanent / indefinite support. Yes, as alimony in futuro when appropriate, subject to modification and statutory termination events.
When alimony ends or can be changed
Death or remarriage typically ends alimony in futuro; cohabitation may reduce or terminate support.
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 Tennessee-specific.
Taxes
TCJA: post-2018 alimony is not federally deductible/includible; Tennessee has no broad wage income tax.
Child support remains non-deductible and non-taxable. Do not assume alimony treatment mirrors child support.
Case law: how Tennessee courts decide alimony
These LawDiver opinions illustrate how Tennessee appellate courts discuss need, ability to pay, duration, and related issues:
Kenneth W. SULLIVAN v. Linda R. SULLIVAN
Kenneth W. SULLIVAN v. Linda R. SULLIVAN, 2002 Tenn. App. LEXIS 641 (2002)
…ppellant appeals the division of marital property, award of alimony in futuro, amount of alimony, and award of attorney’s fees. We affirm the award of alimony as modified herein, affirm the division of property, and reverse the award of attorney’s fees. Kenneth and Linda Sullivan were married in 1976 and have two adult children. Mrs. Sullivan holds a BS in education and home ec…
Kenneth W. SULLIVAN v. Linda R. SULLIVAN is worth reading on Tennessee alimony because the court put the point in its own words: "We affirm the award of alimony as modified herein, affirm the division of property, and reverse the award of attorney’s fees. Kenneth and Linda Sullivan were married in 1976 and have two adult children. Mrs." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
Wanda S. SELF, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Charles Cooper SELF, Defendant-Appellee
…REID, Chief Justice. The trial court found a rehabilitative alimony award payable monthly for 48 months or until the remarriage or death of the wife, whichever should occur first, to be alimony in solido, not subject to subsequent modification. The Court of Appeals reversed. This Court finds that the record supports the trial court’s determination that the award is not subject…
Practitioners open Wanda S. SELF, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Charles Cooper SELF, Defendant-Appellee when Tennessee alimony turns on the distinction in this sentence: "REID, Chief Justice. The trial court found a rehabilitative alimony award payable monthly for 48 months or until the remarriage or death of the wife, whichever should occur first, to be alimony in solido, not subject to subsequent modification. The Court of Appeals reversed." Do not lift it out of the facts the court was deciding.
Albert Lee CRAIN, Plaintiff/Appellee, v. Velma Christine CRAIN, Defendant/Appellant
…ch 1994. Ms. Crain counterclaimed for divorce and requested alimony pendente lite. The trial court directed Mr. Crain to pay Ms. Crain $2,000 per month until the date of the hearing on their divorce. Shortly after a hearing in October 1994, the trial court entered an order declaring the parties to be divorced without regard to fault and directing that the parties should retain…
Tennessee opinions such as Albert Lee CRAIN, Plaintiff/Appellee, v. Velma Christine CRAIN, Defendant/Appellant are cited where alimony is disputed. The court stated: "Ms. Crain counterclaimed for divorce and requested alimony pendente lite. The trial court directed Mr. Crain to pay Ms. Crain $2,000 per month until the date of the hearing on their divorce." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
Practical checklist
- Identify the correct statutory label (alimony) and controlling section (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121).
- Assemble income, budget, and health evidence for both spouses.
- For rehabilitative requests, prepare a concrete plan and timeline.
- Address fault only if Tennessee law makes it relevant to eligibility or amount.
- Search LawDiver for recent Tennessee decisions before mediation.
- Cross-check child support interactions via the Tennessee child support guide.
Key takeaways
- Tennessee uses the term alimony under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121.
- Amount and duration are largely discretionary, guided by statutory factors. Discretionary. Tennessee recognizes multiple statutory alimony types and applies factor lists—no percentage formula.
- Common forms include: Alimony in futuro, alimony in solido, rehabilitative alimony, and transitional alimony.
- Duration framework: Rehabilitative and transitional awards are time-limited; alimony in futuro may be long-term or indefinite when rehabilitation is not feasible.
- Permanent / indefinite support: Yes, as alimony in futuro when appropriate, subject to modification and statutory termination events.
- Companion child-support guide: Tennessee 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 Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-101; Tennessee 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 Tennessee's statutory framework.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee still award permanent alimony?
Yes, as alimony in futuro when appropriate, subject to modification and statutory termination events.
How is alimony calculated in Tennessee?
Tennessee leaves amount largely to judicial discretion under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121, guided by statutory factors rather than a mandatory statewide calculator.
How long do I have to be married to receive alimony?
Rehabilitative and transitional awards are time-limited; alimony in futuro may be long-term or indefinite when rehabilitation is not feasible. Short marriages rarely produce long-term awards; longer marriages support broader remedies where the statute allows.
Does remarriage or cohabitation end alimony?
Death or remarriage typically ends alimony in futuro; cohabitation may reduce or terminate support.
Is alimony taxable?
TCJA: post-2018 alimony is not federally deductible/includible; Tennessee has no broad wage income tax.
Where can I read Tennessee alimony opinions?
Open the cases linked above or search LawDiver scoped to Tennessee. For support of children, see the Tennessee child support guidelines guide.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Tennessee alimony and is not legal advice. Confirm the current text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121 and consult a licensed Tennessee family-law attorney before acting on any rule described here.