In North Carolina, alimony (also called spousal support) may be awarded to a dependent spouse in a divorce action. The amount and duration of alimony are determined by a number of factors, including:

(1)        The marital misconduct of either of the spouses. Nothing herein shall prevent a court from considering incidents of post date-of-separation marital misconduct as corroborating evidence supporting other evidence that marital misconduct occurred during the marriage and prior to date of separation;

(2)        The relative earnings and earning capacities of the spouses;

(3)        The ages and the physical, mental, and emotional conditions of the spouses;

(4)        The amount and sources of earned and unearned income of both spouses, including, but not limited to, earnings, dividends, and benefits such as medical, retirement, insurance, social security, or others;

(5)        The duration of the marriage;

(6)        The contribution by one spouse to the education, training, or increased earning power of the other spouse;

(7)        The extent to which the earning power, expenses, or financial obligations of a spouse will be affected by reason of serving as the custodian of a minor child;

(8)        The standard of living of the spouses established during the marriage;

(9)        The relative education of the spouses and the time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the spouse seeking alimony to find employment to meet his or her reasonable economic needs;

(10)      The relative assets and liabilities of the spouses and the relative debt service requirements of the spouses, including legal obligations of support;

(11)      The property brought to the marriage by either spouse;

(12)      The contribution of a spouse as homemaker;

(13)      The relative needs of the spouses;

(14)      The federal, State, and local tax ramifications of the alimony award;

(15)      Any other factor relating to the economic circumstances of the parties that the court finds to be just and proper.

(16)      The fact that income received by either party was previously considered by the court in determining the value of a marital or divisible asset in an equitable distribution of the parties’ marital or divisible property.

N.C.G.S. 50-16.3A

Once the court has heard the evidence for all relevant factors, it will determine the amount and duration of alimony that is appropriate in the particular case. Manner of payment is also determined by the court, and may be in the form of monthly payments, periodic payments, or a lump sum.

Alimony is not automatically awarded in every case as every case requires a detailed analysis of the relevant facts and circumstances. If you are seeking alimony, or if your spouse is requesting alimony from you, it is important to seek legal advice from an experienced North Carolina alimony attorney to help advise you of your rights and to analyze your case.