Spousal Support a.k.a. “Alimony”

In Texas, generally, you must be married for at least 10 years to get alimony, and show you lack the earning ability to meet your minimum reasonable needs after you conducted due diligence to obtain a job or education to allow you to meet your needs. If you are married for 10 years, you may qualify for up to 5 years of alimony. If you are married for 20 years, you could qualify for up to 7 years of alimony. If you are married for 30 years, you could qualify for up to 10 years of alimony.

You can also qualify for alimony if you are physically or mentally disabled or you are caring for a disabled child of the marriage. You can also qualify for alimony if your spouse was convicted or received deferred adjudication for domestic violence against you or your child (within 2 years of filing your divorce or while the divorce was pending).

You must lack sufficient property to support yourself under any of the above qualifiers. The amount of alimony is the LESSER of $5,000.00 or 20% of the monthly gross income of the paying spouse for the shortest time possible in the Court’s opinion to meet your minimum needs. This amount can be modified after the divorce if there is a “change in circumstances”.