Alimony in Tennessee: Rehabilitative, In Futuro, Transitional and In Solido
Tennessee family law · Last reviewed November 2, 2026
Tennessee has no alimony formula. The judge decides whether to award alimony, what kind, how much and for how long, after dividing the marital property and weighing the factors in § 36-5-121. Either spouse can ask for it. If you settle, your marital dissolution agreement sets the terms.
Support while the case is pending
Before the final hearing, on motion and after notice and a hearing, the court can order one spouse to pay the other's support, and the money needed to bring or defend the divorce. It can also order payment of job training and education expenses. It weighs each spouse's needs and ability to pay (§ 36-5-121(b)).
The four kinds of alimony
The legislature's stated preference is rehabilitation:
It is the intent of the general assembly that a spouse, who is economically disadvantaged relative to the other spouse, be rehabilitated, whenever possible, by the granting of an order for payment of rehabilitative alimony.
| Kind | What it's for | When it ends or can change |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitative | Helps an economically disadvantaged spouse reach, with reasonable effort, an earning capacity that allows a standard of living reasonably comparable to the marriage's | The court can modify it on a substantial and material change in circumstances. To extend or increase it, the recipient must prove all reasonable efforts at rehabilitation were made and failed. Ends at the recipient's death, and at the payor's unless the order says otherwise |
| In futuro (periodic) | Long-term support where there is relative economic disadvantage and rehabilitation isn't feasible | Modifiable on a substantial and material change. Ends automatically at the recipient's death or remarriage, and at the payor's death unless the order says otherwise |
| Transitional | A set period of payments where rehabilitation isn't necessary but the spouse needs help adjusting to the divorce | Can't be modified unless the agreement or decree allows it, or the recipient lives with a third person. Ends at the recipient's death, and at the payor's unless the decree says otherwise; the court can add other end points, such as remarriage |
| In solido (lump sum) | A total fixed when the decree is entered, payable at once or in installments; used for support, to make the property division equitable, or for attorney fees | Not modifiable except by agreement. Doesn't end at either spouse's death or remarriage |
The court can combine kinds. In futuro can be added to rehabilitative alimony where a spouse can be only partly rehabilitated.
Living with someone new
If a spouse receiving in futuro or transitional alimony lives with a third person, the law presumes that the third person is contributing to the recipient's support, or receiving support from the recipient, and that the recipient no longer needs the full amount. The court should then suspend all or part of the alimony. The recipient can rebut that presumption (§ 36-5-121(f)(2)(B), (g)(2)(C)).
The twelve factors
In deciding whether to award alimony, and its kind, amount, length and manner of payment, the court considers all relevant factors, including those in § 36-5-121(i):
- Each spouse's earning capacity, obligations, needs and financial resources, including retirement income.
- Each spouse's education and training, and the need for more of it to reach a reasonable earning capacity.
- How long the marriage lasted.
- Each spouse's age and mental condition.
- Each spouse's physical condition.
- Whether a spouse caring for a minor child shouldn't be expected to work outside the home.
- Each spouse's separate assets.
- How the marital property was divided.
- The standard of living during the marriage.
- Each spouse's contributions to the marriage, including homemaking and help with the other's education or earning power.
- The relative fault of the spouses, where the court thinks it appropriate.
- Other factors, including tax consequences, needed to be fair to both.
The law also states that contributions as homemaker or parent are of equal dignity and importance as economic contributions to the marriage (§ 36-5-121(c)(2)).
Other orders that secure alimony
The court can order a spouse to pay for the other's health insurance, and to keep or buy life insurance naming the other spouse as beneficiary, to secure the alimony (§ 36-5-121(k), (l)).
Frequently asked questions
Is there an alimony calculator for Tennessee?
No official one. Tennessee law has no formula; the judge applies the factors in § 36-5-121(i). Any calculator you find online is a guess.
How long does alimony last in Tennessee?
It depends on the kind. Rehabilitative and transitional alimony last a set period, in futuro can last until death or remarriage, and in solido is a fixed total.
Does remarriage end alimony in Tennessee?
Alimony in futuro ends automatically when the recipient remarries. Transitional alimony ends at remarriage only if the order says so. Alimony in solido doesn't end.
Can alimony be changed later?
Rehabilitative and in futuro alimony can be modified on a substantial and material change in circumstances. Transitional alimony usually can't be, and a final award of alimony in solido is not modifiable except by agreement.
Does adultery matter for alimony in Tennessee?
It can. The court may consider the spouses' relative fault when it thinks that appropriate, though property is divided without regard to fault.
Can I get my attorney fees paid by my spouse?
The court can award attorney fees and expenses as alimony in solido, considering the alimony factors and whether the fees were reasonable and necessary.