When is alimony awarded?

Alimony is called "maintenance" in Alaska and may be awarded either as a lump-sum or through payments over time. Fault is not a factor in awarding maintenance. When establishing the amount and duration of the maintenance, the court takes these factors into consideration:

- How many years the couple was married and the lifestyle they established during that time;

- How old each party is and their physical health;

- The earning capacity of each spouse, taking into consideration their educational background and career training, absences from the work-force, and their child care responsibilities;

- The economic stability of each spouse, including the ability to obtain health insurance at a reasonable cost;

- Misconduct of either spouse in the unreasonable depletion of marital assets;

- How marital assets, property, and debt obligations will be divided in the divorce;

- Any additional factors deemed relevant by the court.

※ Name change: 

Alaska allows for either spouse to return to a previous name as part of a divorce proceeding. If the request is to change the name to something other than a prior name, a hearing will need to be held, with publication of the hearing posted in a newspaper in the judicial district. If no reasonable objection exists for the assumption of the new name, the court will authorize the change after a period of at least 30 days.