Alimony Laws in Maryland
Go to another Maryland divorce page...

Alimony Agreement of the Parties.
The court is bound to the agreement made by the parties concerning alimony.

-From 11-101 of the Maryland Code.

 

Maryland Alimony Guidelines.
In making the determination for alimony, Maryland laws specify the following guidelines for the court to consider:

1. The ability of the party seeking alimony to be wholly or partly self-supporting;

2. The time necessary for the party seeking alimony to gain sufficient education or training to enable that party to find suitable employment;

3. The standard of living that the parties established during their marriage;

4. The duration of the marriage;

5. The contributions, monetary and non-monetary, of each party to the well-being of the family;

6. The circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the parties;

7. The age of each party;

8. The physical and mental condition of each party;

9. The ability of the party from whom alimony is sought to meet that party's needs while meeting the needs of the party seeking alimony;

10. Any agreement between the parties;

11. The financial needs and financial resources of each party, including

a. All income and assets, including property that does not produce income;
b. Any award of property made by the court;
c. The nature and amount of the financial obligations of each party; and 
d. The right of each party to receive retirement benefits; and 

12. Whether the award would cause a spouse who is a resident of a related institution as defined in § 19-301 of the Health-General Article and from whom alimony is sought to become eligible for medical assistance earlier than would otherwise occur.

-From 11-106 of the Maryland Code.

 

Permanent Alimony.
The court may order alimony for an indefinite time, if the court finds that due to age, illness, infirmity, or disability, the party seeking alimony cannot reasonably be expected to make substantial progress toward becoming self-supporting, or even after the party seeking alimony will have made as much progress toward becoming self-supporting as can reasonably be expected, the standards of living of the parties will be unconscionably disparate.

-From 11-106 of the Maryland Code.

 

Termination of Alimony.
Unless the parties agree otherwise, alimony terminates upon the death of either party, upon the remarriage of the recipient, or if the court finds that termination is necessary to avoid a harsh and inequitable result.

-From 11-108 of the Maryland Code.

Find out more about general alimony laws.

 

If your divorce is uncontested, we would love to guide you through the process from beginning to end. Learn more about how our uncontested divorce services can help you through your divorce.

Go to...
General Maryland Divorce Laws
Alimony Laws in Maryland
Maryland Child Custody Laws
Maryland Child Support Laws
Maryland Divorce Law and Property Division

 

© Help Yourself Divorce 2002-2008

 

IMPORTANT: Help Yourself Divorce is a paralegal service, not a law firm. Please don't rely on this information for legal advice. Seek help from an attorney if you need legal advice.

This information has been summarized from the Maryland statutes. You can find the full-text version of these and other Maryland divorce statutes online here: Maryland Divorce Laws (when you get there, click on "Maryland Code" then "Family Law").