Understanding alimony as in New Jersey law

Alimony no doubt is one of the critical factors in divorce cases along with equitable distribution of property, child custody and visitation and child support topics. But before we delve deeper inside the topic, let us first understand what do we mean by ‘Alimony’?

Alimony in simple terms means the maintenance or provision a husband (or wife) provide for their partners after divorce. Also called spousal support, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Part, Chancery Division recognizes five types of alimony; namely temporary, limited duration, permanent, rehabilitative and reimbursement alimony. Let us understand what each type actually entails:

1. Temporary Alimony- This is a provisional support provided to low-earning or unemployed partners to cover their living expenses during the general divorce proceedings in the court and is also called alimony pendent lite.
2. Limited Duration Alimony- Awarded by a judge to the struggling partners until they become self supporting and the values are usually based on the financial needs of the people involved.
3. Permanent Alimony- If you apply or ask for a permanent alimony, the court takes various factors (mentioned later) into consideration to decide whether you qualify for the same or not. This is usually awarded to long-term married couples.
4. Rehabilitative Alimony- Similar to the Limited Duration Alimony in terms of the circumstances, here the alimony requestor is supposed to submit a scheduled plan for rehabilitation, along with a period of employment during the rehabilitation and a time frame for the same. The support amount is used to get training and education so that one can become self-dependent.
5. Reimbursement Alimony- This is basically for the partner who helped his/her spouse in completing their advanced education in hopes of some reimbursements in the future but were later denied the opportunity because of the separation or divorce.

Now, any of the above alimonies can be awarded by the court in a single or combined set to either of the two partners based on their individual financial conditions, the duration of their marriage, parental responsibilities, their individual earning capacity and education levels.


The best advice for people going through the inopportune event of divorce would be to hire a reliable and professional Middlesex county divorce attorney or one of the Monmouth county family lawyers for better management and handling of all the necessary legal procedures and documentation. This would not only help them get relief from the tiresome court proceedings but also saves them from being unfairly treated or judged.