Alimony in Minnesota

When Minnesota courts can order alimony

• Called spousal maintenance; it can be transitional or indefinite.
• Misconduct isn't considered.

Amount, limits and length

Since August 1, 2024, there are presumptions based on length of marriage: under 5 years, no maintenance; 5 to under 20 years, transitional maintenance for no longer than half the length of the marriage; 20+ years, indefinite maintenance - if the need factors are met.

Law: Minn. Stat. 518.552.

Recent changes in Minnesota

2024 Minn. Laws c. 101, art. 2 rewrote spousal maintenance (518.552) effective Aug. 1, 2024: temporary/permanent became transitional/indefinite, with length-of-marriage presumptions and new rules on death, remarriage and cohabitation. Filing fees in 357.021 were amended in 2025.

Good to know

Since Aug. 1, 2024, Minnesota presumes no spousal maintenance for marriages under 5 years and limits most awards for 5-20 year marriages to half the marriage length (Minn. Stat. 518.552, 2024 c. 101).

Alimony and property in Minnesota

Alimony is decided separately from how property and debts are divided.

System

Equitable distribution

The rule

The court makes a just and equitable division of marital property without regard to marital misconduct. Nonmarital property (owned before marriage, gifts, inheritances) usually stays with its owner.

How to ask for alimony in Minnesota

1. Ask for it in your divorce papers

   Spousal support is decided in the divorce case: ask for it in your petition, or in your response if your spouse filed. Use the court's official divorce forms: Divorce forms (Minnesota courts)

2. Pay the fee or ask for a waiver

   $340 for the first filing by each spouse in a marriage dissolution (Minn. Stat. 357.021, subd. Can't afford it? Ask the court to waive fees with an In Forma Pauperis (IFP) application, using the Minnesota Judicial Branch fee waiver forms.

3. Agree, or let the judge decide

   If you and your spouse agree, put it in your written agreement; if not, the judge decides. Common.

4. Get it in the final decree

   Spousal support is ordered in the decree. Get a certified copy and keep it.

Questions about alimony in Minnesota

More about divorce in Minnesota

• All Minnesota divorce laws
• Uncontested divorce in Minnesota
• Minnesota divorce forms and filing fees
• Child custody and support in Minnesota
• Serving divorce papers in Minnesota
• Divorce timeline estimator for Minnesota
• Divorce checklist for Minnesota
• Community property states
• Uncontested divorce: how it works

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