Wyoming calls it alimony. Discretionary. Courts may decree alimony as reasonable based on circumstances—no statutory percentage formula. Forms include Temporary and periodic alimony; lump-sum awards appear in some decrees.. That is what separates Wyoming alimony from a generic national summary. Read Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114 before the background sections below. Duration: Duration is equitable and often limited to a rehabilitative period. Termination: Death, remarriage, or expiration of the term in the decree.
Eligibility and statutory factors
Discretionary. Courts may decree alimony as reasonable based on circumstances—no statutory percentage formula.
Fault. Fault may be considered among all relevant circumstances.
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 Wyoming
Temporary and periodic alimony; lump-sum awards appear in some decrees.
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
Wyoming 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 Wyoming scenario
Here is one way the Wyoming pieces fit together. Change any fact and the statute may point somewhere else.
One spouse asks a Wyoming court for alimony after a divorce filing.
- Use the label and statute Wyoming actually uses: alimony under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114.
- There is no formula. Apply the statutory factors: Discretionary. Courts may decree alimony as reasonable based on circumstances—no statutory percentage formula.
- Set duration from Wyoming rules: Duration is equitable and often limited to a rehabilitative period.
- Identify what ends the award: Death, remarriage, or expiration of the term in the decree.
Rare. Permanent alimony is exceptional under Wyoming practice. Fault: Fault may be considered among all relevant circumstances. Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Wyoming has no state income tax.
How long alimony lasts
Duration is equitable and often limited to a rehabilitative period.
Permanent / indefinite support. Rare. Permanent alimony is exceptional under Wyoming practice.
When alimony ends or can be changed
Death, remarriage, or expiration of the term in the decree.
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 Wyoming-specific.
Taxes
Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Wyoming has no state income tax.
Child support remains non-deductible and non-taxable. Do not assume alimony treatment mirrors child support.
Case law: how Wyoming courts decide alimony
These LawDiver opinions illustrate how Wyoming appellate courts discuss need, ability to pay, duration, and related issues:
Rebecca A. REAVIS, Appellant (Plaintiff), v. Calvin D. REAVIS, Appellee (Defendant)
…rial court acting within its discretion by denying to award alimony to the former wife? II. FACTS After Mother and Father graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1979, they married in July and settled in Cody, Wyoming. Father began employment with Marathon Oil Company, and continued that employment through the time of the divorce. Mother worked for one year in an entry-leve…
Rebecca A. REAVIS, Appellant (Plaintiff), v. Calvin D. REAVIS, Appellee (Defendant) is worth reading on Wyoming alimony because the court put the point in its own words: "II. FACTS After Mother and Father graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1979, they married in July and settled in Cody, Wyoming. Father began employment with Marathon Oil Company, and continued that employment through the time of the divorce." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
Alpha Louise WARREN, Appellant (Defendant Below), v. Francis E. WARREN, Appellee (Plaintiff Below)
…ed for temporary custody of the children; awarded permanent alimony, attorney fees and suit money to the wife; and made a disposition of property. From this decree the defendant has appealed claiming that the trial court erred in failing to set over to her any part of the property owned by plaintiff. No other issue is presented. The trial of the case lasted for five days and th…
Alpha Louise WARREN, Appellant (Defendant Below), v. Francis E. WARREN, Appellee (Plaintiff Below) is worth reading on Wyoming alimony because the court put the point in its own words: "From this decree the defendant has appealed claiming that the trial court erred in failing to set over to her any part of the property owned by plaintiff. No other issue is presented." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
John Eric HENDRICKSON, Appellant (Plaintiff Below), v. Lena Paulette HENDRICKSON, Appellee (De — McCLINTOCK, J
…ns. I would concede with the majority that the allowance of alimony is a subject peculiarly within the discretion of the trial court. Under our practice of “notice pleading” and particularly in view of the fact that the subject of defendant’s income seems to have been gone into in the evidence, I am not greatly concerned that issues concerning alimony were not alleged, thereby…
Practitioners open John Eric HENDRICKSON, Appellant (Plaintiff Below), v. Lena Paulette HENDRICKSON, Appellee (De — McCLINTOCK, J when Wyoming alimony turns on the distinction in this sentence: "I would concede with the majority that the allowance of alimony is a subject peculiarly within the discretion of the trial court." Do not lift it out of the facts the court was deciding.
Ruth SPOMER, Appellant (Plaintiff Below), v. Edwin R. SPOMER, Appellee (Defendant Below)
…ement of the parties. The court granted plaintiff permanent alimony from Edwin R. Spomer, defendant below and hereinafter referred to as such, in the sum of $200.00 per month. The court also granted to the plaintiff a “mortgage” on the real property of the parties, located in Laramie County and used as their former residence, in the sum of $9,000.00. The court held that the mor…
Ruth SPOMER, Appellant (Plaintiff Below), v. Edwin R. SPOMER, Appellee (Defendant Below) is worth reading on Wyoming alimony because the court put the point in its own words: "The court granted plaintiff permanent alimony from Edwin R. Spomer, defendant below and hereinafter referred to as such, in the sum of $200.00 per month." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
Lori Lynn RAYMOND, Appellant (Defendant), v. Robert Allen RAYMOND, Appellee (Plaintiff)
…n the record. Jones v. Jones, 908 P.2d 545, 547 (Wyo.1995). Alimony is addressed in Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-114 (1997): The court may decree to either party reasonable alimony out of the estate of the other having regard for the other’s ability and may order so much of the other’s real estate or the rents and profits thereof as is necessary be assigned and set out to either party for…
Lori Lynn RAYMOND, Appellant (Defendant), v. Robert Allen RAYMOND, Appellee (Plaintiff) is worth reading on Wyoming alimony because the court put the point in its own words: "Jones v. Jones, 908 P.2d 545, 547 (Wyo.1995). Alimony is addressed in Wyo. Stat." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
Dwight L. “Spike” SELLERS, Appellant (Defendant), v. Mary Jane SELLERS, Appellee (Plaintiff)
…fe; (2) designating payments to him of $1,000 per month as “alimony” rather than “property settlement”; and (3) failing to consider the tax consequences of the award of alimony. We affirm in part and reverse in part. The parties were married in 1979. Each had grown children from a previous marriage. Prior to this marriage, they executed an antenuptial agreement which provided t…
Wyoming opinions such as Dwight L. “Spike” SELLERS, Appellant (Defendant), v. Mary Jane SELLERS, Appellee (Plaintiff) are cited where alimony is disputed. The court stated: "We affirm in part and reverse in part. The parties were married in 1979. Each had grown children from a previous marriage." 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 (Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114).
- Assemble income, budget, and health evidence for both spouses.
- For rehabilitative requests, prepare a concrete plan and timeline.
- Address fault only if Wyoming law makes it relevant to eligibility or amount.
- Search LawDiver for recent Wyoming decisions before mediation.
- Cross-check child support interactions via the Wyoming child support guide.
Key takeaways
- Wyoming uses the term alimony under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114.
- Amount and duration are largely discretionary, guided by statutory factors. Discretionary. Courts may decree alimony as reasonable based on circumstances—no statutory percentage formula.
- Common forms include: Temporary and periodic alimony; lump-sum awards appear in some decrees.
- Duration framework: Duration is equitable and often limited to a rehabilitative period.
- Permanent / indefinite support: Rare. Permanent alimony is exceptional under Wyoming practice.
- Companion child-support guide: Wyoming 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 Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 20-2-301 to 20-2-315) 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 Wyoming's statutory framework.
Frequently asked questions
Does Wyoming still award permanent alimony?
Rare. Permanent alimony is exceptional under Wyoming practice.
How is alimony calculated in Wyoming?
Wyoming leaves amount largely to judicial discretion under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114, 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 often limited to a rehabilitative period. 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 expiration of the term in the decree.
Is alimony taxable?
Federal TCJA rules apply post-2018; Wyoming has no state income tax.
Where can I read Wyoming alimony opinions?
Open the cases linked above or search LawDiver scoped to Wyoming. For support of children, see the Wyoming child support guidelines guide.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Wyoming alimony and is not legal advice. Confirm the current text of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-114 and consult a licensed Wyoming family-law attorney before acting on any rule described here.