Spousal Support Duration

A 10-year marriage usually produces 5 to 10 years of spousal support. A 25-year marriage usually produces 12 years to indefinite. Indefinite does not mean forever — it just means no fixed end date. Support still ends on retirement of the payor, remarriage of the recipient, recipient becoming self-sufficient, or a material change of circumstances. Some couples agree to a lump sum instead, which buys out future support obligations in one payment. Others agree to a complete mutual release — neither party can ever ask for spousal support — common in short marriages with similar incomes. The right structure depends on relationship length, income gap, age, and how clean a break both parties want.