Alimony in Utah: How It's Calculated, How Long It Lasts, and When It Ends
General information, not legal advice. Read the full disclaimer.
Short answer: Utah has no alimony formula and no official alimony calculator. Utah Code § 81-4-502 tells the judge to weigh a list of factors — the marriage's standard of living, each spouse's needs and ability to pay, and the length of the marriage, among others. As a rule, the court may not order alimony for longer than the length of the marriage (unless it finds extenuating circumstances or good cause), and alimony ends automatically if the person receiving it remarries, and must be terminated if they cohabit with a new partner.
Who this guide is for
Anyone in a Utah divorce trying to understand how alimony (spousal support) is decided, how long it can last, and what ends it. This explains the framework, not what a specific award would be in your situation.
Is there an alimony calculator in Utah?
No. Unlike child support, which has guideline tables, alimony is a fact-specific determination. Websites that offer an "alimony calculator" are producing estimates, not a figure Utah courts are bound to follow. Two marriages of the same length and similar incomes can end with different results depending on the evidence. For a related framework that does use a formula, see Utah Child Support: How It's Calculated.
The factors a judge must consider
Under § 81-4-502(1), the court shall consider at least these factors:
- The standard of living during the marriage, including income and the approximate value of real and personal property
- The financial condition and needs of the payee (the person who would receive alimony), who may show needs by itemizing expenses present during the marriage
- The payee's earning capacity, including the impact of diminished workplace experience from primarily caring for the payor's minor child
- The payor's ability to provide support
- The tax consequences of alimony on each party
- The length of the marriage, counted from the date of marriage to the date the divorce petition is filed
- Whether the payee has custody of a minor child requiring support
- Whether the payee worked in a business owned or operated by the payor
- Whether the payee paid for, or enabled, the payor's education during the marriage
The statute doesn't rank these factors or give them fixed weights.
Standard of living and the equalization presumption
The court generally considers the standard of living at the time of separation, and may base alimony on the standard of living at the time of trial. The court may attempt to equalize the parties' standards of living.
There is a rebuttable presumption that the court will equalize the standards of living — but only if both are true: the marriage has lasted 10 years or more, and the payee has significantly diminished workplace experience resulting from an agreement between the spouses that the payee reduce their workplace experience to care for a minor child of the payor. It can be rebutted by a showing of good cause, with specific findings. The statute says this presumption can't be used to modify an alimony award if the divorce petition was filed before May 1, 2024.
For short marriages with no child conceived or born during the marriage, the court may consider the standard of living at the time of the marriage and may consider restoring each party to the condition that existed then.
How long alimony can last
The court may not order alimony for longer than the length of the marriage, with this exception: at any time before alimony ends, the court may find extenuating circumstances or good cause to justify a longer period. If temporary alimony is paid during the divorce case, that time counts toward the alimony period.
Remarried couples: if the spouses divorced, remarried each other, and the petition in the later divorce was filed on or after January 1, 2026, the court considers the combined length of both marriages (not counting the time between the prior petition and the remarriage), unless it finds aggregation would be inequitable.
Does fault matter?
Yes, in a limited way. The court may consider fault in deciding whether to award alimony and on what terms, and it can close the proceedings and seal records when fault is at issue. The statute defines "fault" narrowly as wrongful conduct during the marriage that substantially contributed to the breakup: sexual relations with someone other than the spouse; knowingly and intentionally causing or attempting to cause physical harm to the other party or a child; causing the other party or a child reasonably to fear life-threatening harm; or substantially undermining the other party's or a child's financial stability.
Imputed income
A court can impute income to a payee, but § 81-4-503 lets it treat a payee differently if their workplace experience diminished because of an agreement to care for the payor's minor child, or because of a disability. In those cases the court may consider reasonable efforts and reasonable barriers to employment, and must enter specific findings if it imputes income.
When alimony ends
- Remarriage or death of the payee. Unless the decree says otherwise, alimony automatically terminates on the payee's remarriage or death. (If the remarriage is annulled as void from the start, payments resume.)
- Cohabitation. If the payor establishes that the payee cohabits with another individual — during the divorce case or after the decree — the court may not order alimony (including temporary alimony) and shall terminate an existing order, even if the payee isn't cohabiting when the motion is filed. The payor can't seek termination more than one year after they knew or should have known of the cohabitation. The statute defines cohabit as living together in the same residence in a romantic or sexual relationship.
- The end of the ordered period.
Changing alimony after the decree
The court has continuing jurisdiction to change alimony based on a substantial material change in circumstances not stated in the decree or findings (§ 81-4-504). A party's retirement is a substantial material change unless the decree says otherwise (for decrees entered on or after May 12, 2020). The court generally may not change alimony to address needs of the payee that didn't exist when the decree was entered, absent extenuating circumstances, and in modifying alimony it may not consider a payor's later spouse's income except for the spouse's ability to share living expenses or if the payor's improper conduct justifies it.
How this fits into the divorce process
Alimony is decided alongside the other financial issues. See Utah Financial Disclosure Requirements in Divorce, Temporary Orders During a Utah Divorce for support while the case is pending, and Property Division in a Utah Divorce.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an alimony calculator for Utah?
There is no statutory formula or official calculator. Any online calculator gives an estimate only.
Is alimony guaranteed in a Utah divorce?
No. It depends on the statutory factors; a short marriage between two similarly situated earners may involve no alimony.
How long does alimony last in Utah?
Generally no longer than the length of the marriage, unless the court finds extenuating circumstances or good cause.
Does alimony end if the recipient lives with a partner?
If the payor establishes that the payee cohabits with another individual, the court shall terminate alimony. The payor must seek termination within one year of when they knew or should have known.
Can alimony be modified?
Yes, on a substantial material change in circumstances not addressed in the decree. Retirement counts as one unless the decree says otherwise.
Does adultery affect alimony in Utah?
The court may consider fault, which the statute defines to include sexual relations with someone other than the spouse that substantially contributed to the breakup of the marriage.