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 decides alimony as a separate question from property division, though the two interact. Under section 46b-81 the court divides marital assets; under section 46b-82 it decides whether either spouse needs ongoing income support, and section 46b-82(a) requires the court to weigh the property award it makes under section 46b-81. 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 by its terms typically runs until the death of either party or the remarriage of the recipient. A 2013 statutory amendment (Public Act 13-213) added section 46b-82(b), which requires a court that enters such an order following a trial or hearing on the merits to articulate with specificity the basis for it. Because the duty is limited to orders entered after a trial or hearing on the merits, it does not attach to a stipulated judgment, which is how most Connecticut dissolutions resolve. 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. Connecticut weighs the causes of the breakdown on both sides of the financial award: section 46b-81(c) directs the court to consider "the causes for the annulment, dissolution of the marriage or legal separation" in fixing a property assignment, and section 46b-82(a) uses that same language for 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.

When the obligation ends. A time-limited order ends on the date it specifies. Two other events matter, and they do not work the same way:

• The death of either the paying or the receiving spouse ordinarily ends periodic alimony, unless the order expressly continues it as a charge against the estate or secures it with life insurance under section 46b-82(a).
• The remarriage of the recipient ends alimony only where the judgment so provides. Section 46b-82(b) describes an order that "by its terms will terminate only upon the death of either party or the remarriage of the alimony recipient," which is where the rule comes from. No Connecticut statute terminates alimony on remarriage by operation of law: section 46b-86(b) reaches only cohabitation, and the reported case law records that, under the terms of the dissolution judgment in that case, a payor still had to prove that the recipient's remarriage had a financial impact warranting a modification (276 Conn. 491).

Read your judgment before you stop paying. If it does not provide for termination on remarriage, file a motion for modification. Under section 46b-86(a) no modification reaches back further than the date the opposing party was served with notice of the motion under section 52-50, so payments simply withheld before that date can become arrears and expose the payor to a contempt finding. Since no modification reaches back past the service date, get a free case evaluation from a Connecticut family lawyer on the judgment and getting the motion served quickly (attorney advertising).

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 date the opposing party was served with notice of the pending motion, as provided under section 52-50.

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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Last updated: June 1, 2026.

More Connecticut Laws

• Connecticut Child Custody Laws
• Connecticut Child Support Laws
• Connecticut Common Law Marriage Laws
• Connecticut Divorce Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Connecticut use a formula to calculate alimony?

No. Connecticut has no statutory formula, advisory guideline, or percentage-of-income rule for alimony. Courts have broad discretion under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-82 to decide whether to award alimony, how much, and for how long, based on the individual facts of each case.

Can a spouse's affair affect alimony in Connecticut?

Yes. Section 46b-82 requires the court to consider the causes for the dissolution of the marriage, which includes marital misconduct such as an affair. A judge may award higher alimony to the wronged spouse or reduce alimony for a spouse whose conduct contributed to the breakdown, though fault is weighed alongside all other statutory factors.

Is lifetime alimony still possible in Connecticut?

Yes. Connecticut still allows indefinite or lifetime alimony orders. However, section 46b-82(b), added in 2013, requires a court that enters such an order following a trial or hearing on the merits to articulate with specificity the basis for it. That duty does not attach to a stipulated judgment. Permanent alimony is most common in long marriages where one spouse has serious health problems or very limited earning capacity.

Does alimony end when the recipient moves in with a new partner?

Not automatically. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-86(b), cohabitation is grounds for modification or termination, but the paying spouse must file a motion and prove both that the recipient is living with another person and that the arrangement has changed the recipient's financial needs. The court then decides whether and how to adjust the order.

When does alimony end in Connecticut?

A time-limited order ends on the date stated in it. Periodic alimony ordinarily ends on the death of either party unless the order continues it against the estate. Termination on the recipient's remarriage comes from the terms of the judgment rather than from any Connecticut statute, so read the decree and, if it is silent, file a motion under section 46b-86 instead of simply stopping payment. Cohabitation alone never terminates alimony automatically.

How is alimony different from child support in Connecticut?

Child support in Connecticut is calculated using a specific income-shares formula under section 46b-215a and is never tax-deductible. Alimony has no formula and, for divorces finalized on or after January 1, 2019, is neither deductible for the payor nor taxable income for the recipient under federal and Connecticut law.

Can an alimony order be changed after the divorce is final?

Yes. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-86(a), either party can seek modification of a periodic alimony order by showing a substantial change in circumstances since the original award, such as a significant change in income, job loss, or serious illness. The court applies the section 46b-82 factors to set the new amount, if any.