Connecticut Alimony Laws: How Spousal Support Works (2026)

Connecticut alimony is discretionary under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-82. No formula exists, fault is an explicit statutory factor, and lifetime alimony remains available for long marriages where one spouse cannot achieve self-sufficiency.

Information last verified on June 1, 2026.

Estimate your situation: Try our free Connecticut alimony calculator to estimate spousal support and see the factors a Connecticut court weighs.

What is alimony in Connecticut?

Alimony in Connecticut is a court-ordered payment from one spouse to the other following a divorce, legal separation, or annulment. The governing statute is Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-82, which applies to final orders. Temporary support during the divorce proceeding is governed by section 46b-83 and is called alimony pendente lite.

Connecticut treats alimony as entirely separate from property division. Under section 46b-81 the court divides marital assets; under section 46b-82 it decides whether either spouse needs ongoing income support. A spouse can receive a property award and still receive alimony, or receive neither, depending on the facts.

The state uses no income-shares formula and no duration chart. Every award reflects the trial court's weighing of the statutory factors. Because the discretion is so broad, outcomes can differ significantly from case to case even with similar incomes and marriage lengths.

The types of alimony in Connecticut

Alimony pendente lite (temporary). Before a divorce is final, either spouse can ask the court for temporary support under section 46b-83. The court applies the same section 46b-82 factors, with one exception: fault (the grounds for the complaint) is not considered for pendente lite awards. The order lasts only until the divorce is final, at which point a new order under section 46b-82 may replace it or the obligation ends.

Rehabilitative alimony (time-limited). The most common form of post-divorce support in Connecticut is time-limited alimony designed to allow the recipient to re-enter the workforce, complete education or retraining, or transition to financial independence. The order specifies an end date. Courts often award rehabilitative alimony in shorter-to-mid-length marriages where one spouse has reduced earning capacity but can become self-supporting with time and assistance.

Permanent alimony (indefinite or lifetime). Connecticut still authorizes lifetime or indefinite alimony, which continues until the death of either party or the remarriage of the recipient unless the court orders otherwise. A 2013 statutory amendment (Public Act 13-213) requires the court to state on the record, with specificity, the basis for any order that by its terms terminates only on death or remarriage. This requirement forces an explicit judicial finding and discourages routine lifetime awards, but permanent alimony remains an available remedy, particularly in long marriages where a spouse has serious health limitations or limited earning capacity after years out of the workforce.

How Connecticut courts decide alimony: the section 46b-82 factors

Section 46b-82 does not rank the factors; the trial court must consider all of them and then exercise its discretion. The statute requires consideration of:

• The length of the marriage
• The causes for the annulment, dissolution, or legal separation (fault is expressly included)
• The age and health of each party
• The station (standard of living) of each party
• The occupation, amount and sources of income of each party
• The earning capacity of each party
• The vocational skills and education of each party
• The employability of each party
• The estate and needs of each party
• The property division ordered under section 46b-81
• In a case involving minor children, the desirability and feasibility of the custodial parent securing employment

Fault as a factor. Connecticut is one of the states that explicitly considers marital misconduct in alimony decisions. "The causes for the annulment, dissolution of the marriage or legal separation" is statutory language. A judge may award more alimony to a spouse who was wronged by an affair, financial abuse, or other misconduct, and may reduce or deny alimony to a spouse whose own conduct contributed to the breakdown. Fault is not a trump card; courts weigh it alongside all other factors, and it can shift the outcome meaningfully. Importantly, fault is not a factor for property division under section 46b-81; it applies only to alimony.

No formula. Connecticut has no advisory guidelines, no percentage-of-income rule, and no duration multiplier. The legislature rejected formula-based reform proposals in 2013 and 2014. The result is wide judicial discretion and, for litigants, substantial uncertainty until a judge rules.

How long alimony lasts and when it changes

Duration. The length of a time-limited order is within the court's discretion. As a general pattern, shorter marriages tend to produce shorter orders or none at all, while marriages of ten years or more are more likely to generate longer-term or permanent support. But the statute imposes no cap or floor.

Termination by operation of law. Alimony ends automatically on:

• The death of either the paying or the receiving spouse (unless the order expressly continues as a charge against the estate).
• The remarriage of the recipient spouse.

Neither event requires a court motion. If the payor continues to pay after the triggering event, they may seek reimbursement, but the obligation itself is extinguished.

Modification for substantial change in circumstances. Under section 46b-86(a), either party may seek modification of a periodic alimony order on a showing that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred since the original order. The court then applies the section 46b-82 factors to determine what modification, if any, is appropriate. No modification is retroactive to a date earlier than the filing of the motion.

Modification for cohabitation. Section 46b-86(b) creates a separate, lower standard for cohabitation cases. A paying spouse who can show (1) that the recipient is living with another person and (2) that the living arrangement causes a change in the recipient's financial circumstances may seek modification or termination of alimony. The court does not require proof of a full "substantial change." Proof of cohabitation and altered financial need is enough to trigger review. Cohabitation does not automatically terminate alimony; the court still applies the section 46b-82 factors to decide whether and how to adjust the order.

Is alimony taxable, and how it differs from Connecticut child support

Federal tax treatment since 2019. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 permanently changed alimony taxation for all divorce agreements finalized on or after January 1, 2019. For those agreements, alimony is no longer deductible by the payor and is not included in the recipient's gross income at the federal level. For divorce agreements finalized before January 1, 2019, the old rules still apply: the payor deducts payments and the recipient reports them as income. Connecticut's income tax conforms to the federal treatment, so the same cutoff applies at the state level.

Alimony vs. child support. Connecticut child support is calculated using the Income Shares Guidelines under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-215a and related regulations, which produce a specific dollar amount based on both parents' incomes and the parenting schedule. Alimony has no comparable formula. Child support payments are never tax-deductible for the payor and are not taxable income to the recipient, regardless of when the divorce was finalized. Child support ends when the child reaches majority; alimony may extend for years or indefinitely beyond that point. For more on Connecticut's child support rules, see Connecticut child support laws.

For a comparison of how other states handle spousal support, see the alimony laws by state overview.

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Legal Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Connecticut alimony law and is not legal advice. Alimony determinations are highly fact-specific and depend on the circumstances of each case. Connecticut alimony law can change. Consult a licensed Connecticut family law attorney for advice about your particular situation.

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Sources

• Connecticut General Statutes section 46b-82 (Alimony), Connecticut General Assembly, https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/title_46b.htm
• Connecticut General Statutes section 46b-83 (Alimony pendente lite), Connecticut General Assembly, https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/title_46b.htm
• Connecticut General Statutes section 46b-86 (Modification of alimony), Connecticut General Assembly, https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/title_46b.htm
• Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries, Alimony Research Guide, https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/law/alimony.htm
• Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries, Alimony Pathfinder (PDF), https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/Notebooks/Pathfinders/alimony/alimony.pdf
• Office of Legislative Research, "Alimony Payments and Duration in Connecticut and Massachusetts" (2014-R-0036), Connecticut General Assembly, https://www.cga.ct.gov/2014/rpt/2014-R-0036.htm
• Public Act 13-213, "An Act Concerning Revisions to Statutes Relating to the Award of Alimony and the Disposition of Property," Connecticut General Assembly, https://cga.ct.gov/2013/act/pa/2013PA-00213-R00HB-06688-PA.htm
• Internal Revenue Service, "Topic No. 452: Alimony and Separate Maintenance," https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc452

Last updated: June 1, 2026.