Alimony in Massachusetts: Four Types, the Statute's Limits, and a Calculator
Massachusetts family law · Last reviewed October 28, 2026
Massachusetts calls spousal support alimony, and it is governed by G.L. c. 208, §§ 48-55. There are four kinds, each with its own rules. The most common, general term alimony, has a usual ceiling on the amount (30 to 35 percent of the difference between your gross incomes) and, for marriages of 20 years or less, a limit on how long it lasts.
The four kinds of alimony
| Type | For | How long | Can it be modified? |
|---|---|---|---|
| General term | A spouse who is economically dependent | Limited by marriage length; may be indefinite after 20 years | Yes, on a material change of circumstances |
| Rehabilitative | A spouse expected to become self-supporting by a predicted time | No more than 5 years, extendable only on compelling circumstances | Amount, yes, within the term |
| Reimbursement | Marriages of 5 years or less; repays a contribution, such as supporting the other through school | Ends at the recipient's death or a date certain | No |
| Transitional | Marriages of 5 years or less; helps a spouse adjust to a new life or location | No more than 3 years after the divorce | No, and it can't be extended or replaced |
How the amount is set
Section 53 lists what the court considers: the length of the marriage; the parties' ages and health; their income, employment and employability, including employability through reasonable diligence and additional training; their economic and non-economic contributions; the marital lifestyle and each party's ability to maintain it; lost economic opportunity as a result of the marriage; and other relevant factors.
Then it sets the usual ceiling:
Except for reimbursement alimony or circumstances warranting deviation for other forms of alimony, the amount of alimony should generally not exceed the recipient's need or 30 to 35 per cent of the difference between the parties' gross incomes established at the time of the order being issued.
Two income rules matter. The court leaves out capital gains, dividends and interest earned on property already divided in the divorce, and it leaves out income it has already used to set child support. It may also attribute income to a spouse who is unemployed or underemployed.
How long general term alimony lasts
The length of the marriage runs from the wedding to the date the divorce complaint or petition is served, not the date of the judgment, and the court can count earlier years of cohabitation if your economic partnership began then (§ 48). Section 49(b) sets the limits:
| Length of the marriage | General term alimony lasts no longer than |
|---|---|
| 5 years or less | 50 percent of the months of the marriage |
| More than 5, up to 10 years | 60 percent |
| More than 10, up to 15 years | 70 percent |
| More than 15, up to 20 years | 80 percent |
| More than 20 years | No fixed limit; the court may order it for an indefinite time |
A judge can go beyond these limits on a written finding that deviation is "required in the interests of justice."
Massachusetts general term alimony limits
G.L. c. 208, §§ 48, 49(b)-(c) and 53(b) · the statute’s usual ceilings on amount and duration, not a prediction of what a judge will order
Deviation
On written findings, the court may depart from the amount and duration limits for general term and rehabilitative alimony. The statute's grounds include advanced age or chronic illness, tax considerations, who pays health and life insurance, unearned income from assets that weren't divided, significant premarital cohabitation or a long separation, a party's inability to support themselves because of abuse by the payor, and any other relevant factor.
When general term alimony ends
- Remarriage or death. It ends when the recipient remarries or either spouse dies. The court can require life insurance or other security.
- Cohabitation. It can be suspended, reduced or ended when the recipient has kept a common household with another person for a continuous period of at least three months. Dating alone isn't enough; the statute lists factors such as shared residence, economic interdependence and community reputation.
- Retirement. It ends when the payor reaches full retirement age under Social Security, unless the court set a different date for good cause when it first ordered alimony, or later extends it on clear and convincing evidence of a material change.
- Modification. Unless you agreed otherwise, the amount or duration can change on a material change of circumstances. A payor's new spouse's income doesn't count, and income from a second job or overtime started after the order is presumed immaterial (§ 54).
Temporary alimony while the case is pending
Under § 17, the court can order one spouse to pay alimony to the other while the divorce is pending, and money to let the other spouse bring or defend the case. You ask by motion (CJD 400) with an affidavit.
Taxes
The Department of Revenue explains that Massachusetts changed its treatment of alimony as of January 1, 2022, to follow the federal tax code. For tax years before 2022, Massachusetts let the payer deduct alimony and taxed it to the recipient. Child support is neither deductible nor taxable. The rules for your agreement depend on when it was signed and modified, so check the DOR alimony page or a tax adviser.
Frequently asked questions
How is alimony calculated in Massachusetts?
There's no fixed formula. For general term alimony, the amount should generally not exceed the recipient's need or 30 to 35 percent of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes. The court weighs the § 53 factors and may deviate on written findings.
How long does alimony last in Massachusetts?
General term alimony lasts no longer than 50, 60, 70 or 80 percent of the months of the marriage, for marriages of up to 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. After a marriage of more than 20 years, it can be indefinite. Rehabilitative alimony is limited to 5 years and transitional to 3.
Is there lifetime alimony in Massachusetts?
After a marriage of more than 20 years, general term alimony can be ordered for an indefinite time. It still ends, as a rule, when the payor reaches full retirement age, the recipient remarries, or either spouse dies.
Does living with a new partner end alimony?
It can. If the recipient has shared a common household with another person for at least three continuous months, the court can suspend, reduce or end general term alimony.
Can alimony and child support be ordered together?
Yes, but the court can't count the same income twice: income used for child support is left out of the alimony calculation. The combined duration of the two is also limited.