New Hampshire Alimony Laws
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The following is a summary of New Hampshire alimony laws, and is by no means intended to be an all-inclusive description of what to expect in your particular case. In some cases, the exact text of the statute may have been simplified and/or modified to provide for easier understanding. For a more specific understanding of the laws, you should consult the full New Hampshire Statutes and/or consult with an attorney about how the law might apply to your particular situation.

New Hampshire laws allow the court to order alimony, either temporary or permanent, for a definite or indefinite period of time, if the motion for alimony payments is made within 5 years of the decree of nullity or divorce and the court finds that:

(a) The party in need of alimony lacks sufficient income, property, or both, including property awarded in the divorce decree, to provide for such party's reasonable needs, taking into account the style of living to which the parties have become accustomed during the marriage; and

(b) The party from whom alimony is sought is able to meet reasonable needs while meeting those of the party seeking alimony, taking into account the style of living to which the parties have become accustomed during the marriage; and

(c) The party in need is unable to be self-supporting through appropriate employment at a standard of living that meets reasonable needs or is the custodian of a child of the parties whose condition or circumstances make it appropriate that the custodian not seek employment outside the home.

In determining the amount of alimony, the court shall consider:

(1) the length of the marriage;

(2) the age, health, social or economic status, occupation, amount and sources of income, the property awarded in the divorce decree, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, and needs of each of the parties;

(3) the opportunity of each for future acquisition of capital assets and income;

(4) the fault of either party, if the fault caused the breakdown of the marriage, and caused substantial physical or mental pain and suffering or resulted in substantial economic loss to the marital estate or the injured party;

(5) the federal tax consequences of the order; and

(6) the contribution of each of the parties in the acquisition, preservation, or appreciation in value of their respective estates and the noneconomic contribution of each of the parties to the family unit.

-From 458:19 of the New Hampshire Statutes.

 

Learn more about general alimony laws.

 

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Other pages on New Hampshire divorce laws:
General New Hampshire Divorce Laws
Alimony Divorce Laws in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Child Custody Laws
New Hampshire Child Support Laws
New Hampshire Laws on Property Division

 

© Help Yourself Divorce 2002-2008

 

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This information has been summarized from the New Hampshire statutes. You can find the full-text version of these and other New Hampshire divorce statutes online here: New Hampshire Divorce Laws.