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What is Alimony?
Alimony, also known as “spousal support,” is court-ordered payment from one spouse to another. These payments can be:
- Just during divorce proceedings (“pendente lite”);
- Limited to a few years after the divorce is finalized (“rehabilitative”), to help the recipient get back on their feet; or
- Permanent maintenance payments (“indefinite”).
The idea behind alimony and spousal support payments is that individuals who contributed to the marriage in ways other than monetary still deserve to live a lifestyle they are accustomed to.
For example, the “breadwinner” may have been able to take promotions, extended work trips, and educational opportunities to further their own career because their home and family life were cared for by the other spouse.
Therefore, that spouse contributed towards the total household income, even if they didn’t have a job at the time. Maryland judges may rule that alimony is appropriate in that circumstance.
Maryland only recently codified alimony into its state laws, as part of its Divorce Code of 1980.
How Can Someone Gain Alimony?
Courts only award alimony to one party in a divorce case before the divorce decree is finalized. Therefore, someone seeking alimony must ask for it as part of the divorce proceedings; it cannot be granted after the divorce is done.
While both parties can jointly propose what they consider to be fair alimony arrangements, it is ultimately the Court’s sole decision as to whether, what kind, and how much spousal support is granted as part of the divorce decree.
Judges consider many characteristics in an alimony claim, such as:
- How long the marriage lasted;
- What the household’s standard of living was before divorce proceedings;
- Who contributed what to the divorce, both financially and materially;
- Who can join (or rejoin) the workforce, and how much they might make; and
- What led to the divorce, if an at-fault divorce is filed.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of alimony considerations. Maryland judges have the freedom to make their decision based on any circumstances or details about the alimony claim they consider relevant to a specific case.
In addition to a general lump payment, the Court may also award other types of spousal support. For example, a judge may order that one party’s mortgage be paid for a certain amount of time, or that school fees associated with education toward a future career be reimbursed.
The Court may also order accumulated legal fees to be reimbursed at the conclusion of the divorce.
How Can I Fight an Unfair Alimony Claim?
Sometimes, one party in a divorce seeks alimony to “punish” their former spouse. They may ask for an excessive amount of spousal support.
We often see the would-be provider unable to make both spousal support payments and their own household bills.
There are several defenses against excessive alimony and spousal support, including:
- Showing that the requested alimony is excessive and beyond what’s “necessary” to pay;
- Proving that spousal support payments would cripple the payer financially; or
- The other party is being needlessly vindictive in their alimony claims.
Of course, the approach of countering an alimony claim largely depends on each individual divorce proceeding – and the Court and judge making the final decree.

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Your Legal Team

Florian Tabaku
Managing Attorney
Clients looking for a dedicated, hard-working, thorough, and tough advocate that offers personalized attention for their unique case should ask for Florian. When Flo handles your case, expect professional, responsive, and proactive representation that gets results.

Zachery Groves
Domestic Partner and Senior Litigator
For your domestic case, the buck stops with Zack Groves. Zack's priority is to maintain your family and quality of life, no matter what your case entails, with individualized representation.

Timothy Sutton
Senior Litigator
Timothy's current clients on domestic litigation leverage his nearly 20 years' experience litigating in state, federal, and administrative courts throughout Maryland. Work with Timothy if you want a legal ally who can truly connect with you and your case to achieve your desired outcome.

Abigail Beichler
Supervising Attorney
With a legal focus on domestic cases and a background in criminal defense, Abbey is determined to see justice done for individuals in their time of greatest need, fueled by her passion for thoughtful, mission-oriented preparation. With Abbey at your side, know that your case will be handled with the attention and respect it deserves.

James E. Crawford
Founding Partner and Senior Litigator
Jim believes that the power to change the life of even one client is worth more than any amount of money or prestige. That's why he's spent just about every day of his working career in a Maryland courtroom, giving clients their opportunity for justice.
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