Delaware alimony amount
Delaware courts first determine whether the spouse requesting alimony is a dependent party.
Delaware Code Title 13 §1512 says a spouse may receive alimony only if the spouse qualifies as a dependent party under the statute. The court then sets an amount and time it considers just after factors including financial resources, education or training needs, marital standard of living, marriage duration, age and health, contributions to earning capacity, the other spouse’s ability to pay, tax consequences, and foregone economic or educational opportunities. [1]
Section 1512 does not provide one statewide percentage formula for the dollar amount. The budget worksheet therefore uses a payment selected by the visitor and keeps that figure separate from the legal eligibility and duration rules.
Delaware alimony duration
For marriages under 20 years, Delaware generally limits alimony eligibility to half the length of the marriage.
Section 1512(d) states that a person is eligible for alimony for no more than 50% of the marriage term when the marriage lasted less than 20 years. For a marriage of 20 years or longer, the statute places no time limit on eligibility based on marriage length, although the statutory factors still apply. [1]
This is an eligibility-period limit, not a promise that alimony will be awarded for the maximum period. Unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing, future alimony also terminates upon death of either spouse or the recipient’s remarriage or statutory cohabitation. [1]
Questions about Delaware alimony calculations.
Does Delaware have an alimony amount formula?
No statewide percentage formula appears in §1512. The Family Court decides the amount after the dependency requirements and statutory factors are considered.
How long can alimony last after a 12-year Delaware marriage?
Section 1512(d) limits eligibility for a marriage under 20 years to no more than 50% of the marriage term. For a 12-year marriage, that marriage-length eligibility limit is six years. The court still decides whether alimony is awarded and for how long.
What happens after a 20-year Delaware marriage?
For a marriage of 20 years or longer, §1512(d) does not impose a marriage-length time limit on alimony eligibility. That does not make an indefinite award automatic.
Is Delaware spousal support the same as alimony?
No. Delaware Family Court explains that spousal support can apply when spouses are separated with no divorce petition pending, while alimony can be requested during divorce proceedings or after divorce.
Delaware alimony sources and calculator limits
- 01Delaware Code Title 13 §1512, alimony in divorce and annulment actions
- 02Delaware Family Court, Spousal Support FAQ (rev. 8/26)
Public-source check: September 6, 2026. Current calculator rules release: 0.18.0. This page compares a visitor-selected payment and applies only the ordinary marriage-length eligibility limit in §1512(d). It does not determine dependency, entitlement, a court-selected amount, exceptions, waiver, modification, cohabitation, or termination and is not attorney reviewed.