offered by
Probate and Family Court
Massachusetts Court System
related to
Family Matters in the Courts

Alimony

Alimony is court-ordered support paid by one spouse to the other for a period of time after a divorce.

Alimony is paid by a spouse who has the ability to pay to a spouse in need of support for a period of time. Only people who are divorcing or are divorced can ask for and receive alimony.

What would you like to do?

Request alimony during your divorce

If you are getting divorced, you ask for alimony as a part of the divorce process. It is not a separate procedure.

Request alimony after you are divorced

If your original divorce judgment didn’t mention alimony, you can file a complaint for alimony for the first time at any time after your divorce.

Change your alimony

The person paying alimony or the person receiving alimony can ask for a change in alimony, or you can both ask together.

Learn more about alimony

Contact Information

Online

Probate and Family Court locations 

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