§ 19-6-20.Revision of judgment for permanent alimony, generally — Issues for court to consider
Chapter 6. Alimony and Child Support · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2007 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-6-20
Plain-English Summary
When a former spouse petitions under § 19-6-19(a) to revise permanent alimony, this section keeps the trial narrow. The original award isn’t relitigated. Whether a party was entitled to alimony in the first place is not an issue. The only issue is whether there has been a substantial change in the income and financial status of either former spouse that warrants a downward or upward revision of the permanent alimony judgment.
Two features matter. First, the change must be “substantial”; a small shift in income won’t do. Second, the court looks at both former spouses, so a change on either side can support a revision. The section applies to permanent alimony for the support of a former spouse. Judgments entered before July 1, 1977 follow § 19-6-18, which uses a similar rule centered on the paying husband’s finances. Whether a given change is substantial enough is a question for the jury or judge on the evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the original alimony award be reargued in a Georgia modification case?
No. In a trial on a petition under § 19-6-19(a), whether a party is entitled to alimony isn’t an issue. The only issue is whether a substantial change in either former spouse’s income and financial status warrants revising the award up or down.
What must I prove to modify alimony in Georgia?
You must show a substantial change in the income and financial status of either former spouse that warrants a downward or upward revision of the permanent alimony judgment. You don’t need to prove again that alimony was deserved in the first place; that question isn’t at issue. The factfinder decides whether the change you show is substantial enough.
Can my ex’s increased income justify raising my alimony?
It can be considered. The section looks at changes in the income and financial status of either former spouse, so a substantial change on the paying spouse’s side can support an upward revision. Whether it justifies one depends on the evidence and the factfinder’s judgment.
Can alimony be increased, not only decreased, in Georgia?
Yes. The section expressly allows either a downward or upward revision or modification of the permanent alimony judgment when a substantial change in either former spouse’s income and financial status warrants it. The spouse receiving alimony may petition under § 19-6-19 just as the paying spouse may, subject to the same two-year limit on repeat petitions.
Does this rule apply to child support modifications?
No. This section deals with petitions under § 19-6-19 to revise permanent alimony for the support of a former spouse. Child support modification follows its own rules in § 19-6-15, which has a separate subsection on modification. A parent seeking to change child support should look there rather than to this section.
Amendment History
Laws 1955, p. 630, § 2; Laws 1977, p. 1253, § 2; Laws 1979, p. 466, § 24; Laws 1986, p. 1259, § 2; Laws 2005, Act 52, § 7, eff. Jan. 1, 2007.