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In Washington State, the court acknowledges primarily two types of alimony: rehabilitative and maintenance. Rehabilitative alimony is a short-term boost to help the recipient spouse acquire the necessary job skills or education to become self-supporting.

In general, a prior order cannot be modified unless there is “a showing of a substantial change of circumstances”.

Washington family law allows for modifications of the final divorce decree for child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support, but not property and debt division. Child custody, visitation, and support remain under the control of the court until the children are legally emancipated.

In essence, the court first looks at the economic need of the party seeking spousal support. The court measures this need by comparing the monthly income of the person seeking alimony with their monthly expenses. The shortfall between a party's income and their expenses is that party's economic need.

A court in Washington State will usually a) award each party his or her own separate property and b) divide the net value of the parties' community property 50/50. This means the husband keeps what he brought to the marriage, the wife keeps what she brought, and the rest gets split between them equally.

How do you modify spousal maintenance (alimony) in Washington State? The party seeking modification must prove to the court a substantial change in circumstances, and he or she must do so prior to the existing maintenance obligation expiring.

Washington spousal maintenance generally ends if the spouse receiving then maintenance remarries. In some cases, however, the parties may agree or the divorce decree may provide that maintenance continue beyond remarriage.

Alimony usually lasts until the divorce is final or for a brief period afterward. Mid-length marriages that lasted between 5-25 years have more variability in awarding alimony. Judges often award one year of maintenance for every 3 to 4 years married, but this is not a hard rule.

As a general rule of thumb, courts in Washington State award one year of alimony for every three or four years of marriage. There is no statute or case law explicitly stating this formula, but it is an oft mentioned rule and generally what courts can be expected to do.