Reviewed for current 2026 law
Delaware Alimony Factors 2026
Delaware decides amount through dependency findings and statutory factors, not a statewide dollar formula.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
alimony factors
DE sets alimony by judicial discretion; there is no statutory formula. Courts weigh the enumerated factors below.
Factors the court weighs
- Financial resources of the party seeking alimony and ability to meet reasonable needs independently
- Time and expense needed for education or training for appropriate employment
- Standard of living established during the marriage
- Duration of the marriage
- Age and physical and emotional condition of both parties
- Contributions to the other party education, training, vocational skills, career, or earning capacity
- Ability of the other party to meet personal needs while paying alimony
- Tax consequences
- Economic, education, or employment opportunities forgone or postponed during the marriage
- Any other factor the court expressly finds just and appropriate
13 Del. C. § 1512(c)
Duration limits
- Marriage under 20 years: Eligibility may not exceed 50% of the marriage term
- Marriage 20 years or longer: No statutory eligibility time limit, subject to the factors
Assumptions
- This tool does not estimate a dollar amount for discretionary states: any number would be invented.
- Delaware requires dependency findings and judicial weighing. The statute contains no dollar formula.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Delaware alimony under 13 Del. C. § 1512.
Eligibility starts with dependency
The prospective recipient must lack sufficient property and be unable to self-support through appropriate employment, subject to the child-custodian rule.
Section 1512 lists ten factor categories and tells the court to set an amount and time it deems just without regard to marital misconduct.
For a marriage under 20 years, eligibility generally may not exceed half the marriage term.
Prepare dependency and factor evidence
Collect budgets, property records, employment and training evidence, health records, and proof of the marital standard of living.
The checklist cannot predict a judge discretionary dollar award.
What this estimate includes
- Dependency requirements
- Ten factor categories
- Duration rule
What it leaves out
- Dollar prediction
- Guaranteed eligibility
- Tax advice
Delaware alimony factors FAQs
Does Delaware have an alimony formula?
No. The statute supplies eligibility, factors, and a duration limit but no dollar equation.
Who may qualify?
A dependent party who lacks sufficient property and cannot appropriately self-support may qualify after the statutory analysis.
Does marital misconduct count?
Section 1512 says amount and time are decided without regard to marital misconduct.
How long can alimony last?
For marriages under 20 years, eligibility is capped at 50 percent of the marriage term; at 20 years or more, there is no statutory eligibility time limit.
Does remarriage end alimony?
Unless the parties agree otherwise, remarriage or cohabitation of the recipient terminates future alimony.
Why is there no amount?
A dollar result would imply a formula Delaware law does not contain.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- 13 Del. C. § 1512, alimony
Delaware General Assembly Last checked
Changelog: page reviewed . Material changes appear in the update log.