Utah Alimony & Spousal Support (2026)
Utah has no formula for the amount of alimony — that is fully up to the judge. But state law does set a fixed limit on how long alimony can last, described below.
How long alimony can last
Utah caps alimony at no longer than the length of the marriage — a court may not order alimony for a period exceeding the marriage's duration, except where the court finds extenuating circumstances or good cause justifying a longer period. Time spent paying temporary alimony during the divorce case counts toward this limit.
What determines alimony in Utah
Under Utah Code § 81-4-502 (Utah Code § 81-4-502 (Utah's domestic relations code was fully recodified effective September 1, 2024; alimony moved from the old § 30-3-5 to this section)), a court considers:
- Standard of living during the marriage (income, property value, and other relevant factors)
- Financial condition and needs of the payee
- Payee's earning capacity, including the impact of reduced workplace experience from primarily caring for a minor child
- Payor's ability to provide support
- Tax consequences of alimony for each party
- Length of the marriage
- Whether the payee has custody of a minor child requiring support
- Whether the payee worked in a business owned or operated by the payor
- Whether the payee directly contributed to increasing the payor's skill by paying for or enabling the payor's education
Good to know
- For marriages of 10+ years where the payee significantly reduced their workplace experience by agreement to care for the payor's minor child, there is a rebuttable presumption that the court will equalize the parties' standards of living — this presumption only applies to divorce petitions filed on or after May 1, 2024.
- Alimony automatically ends if the payee remarries or dies, and a payor can also seek to end alimony if the payee cohabits with a new partner.
- The AMOUNT of alimony remains fully discretionary based on the factors above — only the maximum duration is fixed by statute.
Also need a child support estimate?
Alimony and child support are calculated completely separately in Utah. If you also have children, use our free Utah child support calculator — that one does compute a real number, based on the official guideline formula.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an alimony formula in Utah?
Not for the amount, which is decided case-by-case using the statutory factors. But Utah does cap the DURATION of alimony: a court generally cannot order alimony for longer than the length of the marriage itself, unless it finds extenuating circumstances.
How long does alimony last in Utah?
Utah caps alimony at the length of the marriage — for example, an 8-year marriage generally caps alimony at 8 years. A court can go beyond that only if it finds extenuating circumstances or good cause. Time spent paying temporary alimony during the divorce case counts toward that limit.
Source: Utah Code § 81-4-502 (Utah's domestic relations code was fully recodified effective September 1, 2024; alimony moved from the old § 30-3-5 to this section) · Last verified 2026-07-22
Disclaimer: This page explains the general legal framework for alimony in Utah and is for informational purposes only — it is not legal advice and does not predict the outcome of any specific case. Laws change; always verify with the official source above or a family law attorney licensed in Utah before making decisions.