Utah · Alimony · Updated Oct 2026

Alimony in Utah

Alimony (spousal support) in Utah, from the state's own law: when a court can order it, amount and length, recent changes, how it relates to dividing property and how to ask for it.

The short answer

The court weighs factors such as the payee's needs, the payer's ability to pay, the payee's earning capacity, length of the marriage, custody of children and contributions to the payer's career (Utah Code 81-4-502).

Property division
Equitable distribution

When Utah courts can order alimony

  • The court weighs factors such as the payee's needs, the payer's ability to pay, the payee's earning capacity, length of the marriage, custody of children and contributions to the payer's career (Utah Code 81-4-502).
  • For a divorce filed on or after Jan. 1, 2026 between spouses who remarried each other, the court counts the two marriages together unless that would be inequitable.

Amount, limits and length

  • Alimony generally can't last longer than the marriage did; temporary alimony paid during the case counts toward that limit.
  • No fixed formula.

Recent changes in Utah

Recodification: divorce provisions moved from Utah Code 30-3 to Title 81, chapter 4, effective Sept. 1, 2024 (2024 General Session ch. 366). 81-4-406 amended by 2025 ch. 479; 81-4-404 by 2025 ch. 426. 2026 General Session ch. 249 amended the alimony sections (81-4-501, -502, -504, -505), including the new rule that when spouses divorced, remarried each other and file again on or after Jan. 1, 2026, the court counts both marriages together for the alimony time limit (81-4-502(8)); ch. 155 amended 81-4-104 (temporary separation order).

Good to know

Alimony usually can't last longer than the marriage. (Utah Code 81-4-502)

Alimony and property in Utah

Spousal support is a separate question from dividing property and debts.

System
Equitable distribution
The rule
The court may make equitable orders dividing property, debts and obligations. The decree must say who pays each joint debt.

How to ask for alimony in Utah

  1. Ask for it in your divorce papers

    You ask for alimony in the divorce case itself, in your petition or in your response to your spouse's petition. Use the court's official divorce forms: Divorce forms (Utah courts)

  2. Pay the fee or ask for a waiver

    $350 to file a petition for divorce; $130 for the respondent's answer/counter-petition (Utah Courts fee schedule effective May 6, 2026; Utah Code 78A-2-301(1)(b)(iv), (1)(d)(iv)). Can't afford it? Ask the judge to waive fees with a Motion to Waive Fees, filed with your other papers: https://www.utcourts.gov/en/self-help/legal-help/procedures/waiver.html.

  3. Agree, or let the judge decide

    If you and your spouse agree, put it in your written agreement; if not, the judge decides. Required: if any issues are still contested after the response is filed, you must attend at least one mediation session in good faith (cost split equally unless ordered otherwise).

  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 Utah

How does alimony work in Utah?

The court weighs factors such as the payee's needs, the payer's ability to pay, the payee's earning capacity, length of the marriage, custody of children and contributions to the payer's career (Utah Code 81-4-502). Alimony generally can't last longer than the marriage did; temporary alimony paid during the case counts toward that limit. For a divorce filed on or after Jan. 1, 2026 between spouses who remarried each other, the court counts the two marriages together unless that would be inequitable. No fixed formula.

How much alimony is paid in Utah, and for how long?

Alimony generally can't last longer than the marriage did; temporary alimony paid during the case counts toward that limit. No fixed formula.

Has alimony law in Utah changed recently?

Recodification: divorce provisions moved from Utah Code 30-3 to Title 81, chapter 4, effective Sept. 1, 2024 (2024 General Session ch. 366). 81-4-406 amended by 2025 ch. 479; 81-4-404 by 2025 ch. 426. 2026 General Session ch. 249 amended the alimony sections (81-4-501, -502, -504, -505), including the new rule that when spouses divorced, remarried each other and file again on or after Jan. 1, 2026, the court counts both marriages together for the alimony time limit (81-4-502(8)); ch. 155 amended 81-4-104 (temporary separation order).

Is Utah a community property state?

No. Utah uses equitable distribution. The court may make equitable orders dividing property, debts and obligations. The decree must say who pays each joint debt.

More about divorce in Utah

Alimony in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.