In Maryland, the court decides both the amount of alimony and the period it lasts, weighing 12 factors in Family Law Section 11-106. The default is an award for a set period, and when it ends no further alimony accrues. Indefinite alimony is possible only if the recipient can't reasonably become self-supporting, or if living standards would stay unconscionably disparate.
That set period is the thing to watch. Maryland gives the recipient a narrow window to ask for more time, and it closes when the period ends. These rules come from Sections 11-106 to 11-108 of the Family Law Article, checked in October 2026.
This is a plain-English summary of what the statute says, checked in October 2026. It isn't legal advice, and a family lawyer or your county court's self-help center can tell you how it applies to your case.
The 12 factors Maryland courts weigh
Section 11-106(b) tells the court to consider all factors necessary for a fair and equitable award, including:
- The ability of the spouse seeking alimony to be wholly or partly self-supporting.
- The time needed to gain enough education or training to find suitable employment.
- The standard of living established during the marriage.
- The duration of the marriage.
- Each party's monetary and nonmonetary contributions to the family's well-being.
- The circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the parties.
- The age of each party.
- The physical and mental condition of each party.
- The paying spouse's ability to meet their own needs while meeting the other spouse's needs.
- Any agreement between the parties.
- Each party's financial needs and resources, including all income and assets, any property award, financial obligations and retirement benefit rights.
- Whether the award would make a spouse living in a related institution eligible for medical assistance earlier than otherwise.
Factor 6 is the closest thing to a fault factor: the circumstances behind the estrangement. And factor 11 pulls in the property side, including any monetary award under Sections 8-205 and 8-208, so alimony and the property division are weighed together.
Set-period alimony vs indefinite alimony
| Type | When the court can order it | What happens at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Alimony for a set period | The default: the court sets the amount and the period | At the end of the period, no further alimony accrues |
| Indefinite alimony | Age, illness, infirmity or disability means the recipient can't reasonably be expected to make substantial progress toward self-support | Continues until a termination event |
| Indefinite alimony | Even after as much progress as can reasonably be expected, the parties' standards of living would be unconscionably disparate | Continues until a termination event |
The court can also start alimony from the date the request for alimony was filed, not just from the date of the judgment. That can matter in a long case, where months pass between filing and the final judgment.
Because Section 11-106(a) has the court fix the amount and the period at the same time, the evidence on the first two factors, how far the spouse can support themselves and how long training would take, tends to drive the length of the award. A realistic plan for getting back to work, with dates and costs, helps the court set a period that fits.
The extension deadline people miss
Here's the detail that catches recipients out. Under Section 11-107(a), the court may extend the period of alimony only if circumstances arise during the period that would lead to a harsh and inequitable result without an extension, and the recipient petitions for the extension during the period.
So if your alimony is due to end in March, a request filed in April is too late, however strong the reasons. Either party can also ask the court to modify the amount as circumstances and justice require under Section 11-107(b), which is a separate route from extending the time.
When alimony ends
- On the death of either party.
- On the marriage of the recipient.
- If the court finds termination necessary to avoid a harsh and inequitable result.
Each of those applies unless the parties agree otherwise, under Section 11-108, so read any settlement draft for wording on these three events before you sign. That gives settlements real weight: an agreement can, for example, keep alimony going after a remarriage or end it earlier than the statute would.
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Taxes and planning
For federal tax, the IRS says alimony under a divorce or separation agreement executed after 2018 isn't deductible by the payer or income for the recipient. If you're the recipient on a set-period award, it's worth planning the budget for the day it stops; these budgeting apps make that easier. If health cover through a spouse ends with the divorce, this COBRA coverage guide explains one bridge.
Verdict
Maryland alimony is built around a finish line. If you're receiving it, diarize the end date and the extension rule, because the window to ask for more time closes with the period itself. If you're seeking indefinite alimony, frame your case around one of the two statutory tests, either a lasting inability to become self-supporting or an unconscionable gap in living standards, because the 12 factors alone won't get you there.
Frequently asked questions
How long does alimony last in Maryland?
The court sets the period. When it ends, no further alimony accrues, unless the court has awarded indefinite alimony under one of the two tests in Section 11-106(c) or extends the period on a timely petition.
When can you get indefinite alimony in Maryland?
When age, illness, infirmity or disability means the recipient can't reasonably be expected to make substantial progress toward self-support, or when living standards would still be unconscionably disparate after reasonable progress.
Can Maryland alimony be extended?
Yes, but only if circumstances arise during the alimony period that would make ending it harsh and inequitable, and the recipient petitions during that period.
Does remarriage end alimony in Maryland?
Yes. Section 11-108 ends alimony on the marriage of the recipient, unless the parties agreed otherwise.
Does fault affect alimony in Maryland?
It can. The circumstances that contributed to the estrangement of the parties are one of the 12 factors in Section 11-106(b).
Can Maryland alimony start before the divorce is final?
Yes. Section 11-106(a)(2) lets the court award alimony for a period beginning from the filing of the pleading that requests alimony, rather than only from the date of the judgment.
