The short answer

Ten years of marriage does not automatically mean lifetime alimony in California. Marriage length affects how the court handles spousal support, including its ability to revisit the issue. The amount and duration depend on the applicable legal factors and the terms of any agreement or court order.

General information about California spousal and domestic partner support. The wording of a judgment, support order, or proposed agreement can change your options.

Why people talk about ten years

Family Code section 4336 generally presumes that a marriage lasting at least ten years, measured from marriage to separation, is of long duration for retaining jurisdiction over support. Jurisdiction means the court’s authority to decide the issue later. The statute allows exceptions, including consideration of separation periods and some shorter marriages.

Keeping that authority does not automatically set a monthly payment or require payments for life. A written agreement or an order terminating support can affect the court’s continuing authority. Before agreeing to an end date or a waiver, ask what the exact wording would allow either spouse to request later.

Temporary and long-term support work differently

Temporary spousal support addresses financial needs while a family law case is underway. Courts often use a guideline calculation as a starting point, but the judge considers need and ability to pay. Your court may use a different calculation from the one you find online.

Support ordered as part of the final divorce judgment is usually called long-term or permanent support. The word permanent does not guarantee payments forever. Long-term support requires consideration of the Family Code section 4320 factors; a temporary-support estimate does not determine the final award.

What the judge considers

The court looks at the circumstances of the marriage and each spouse. The required factors include income and earning capacity, age and health, the marital standard of living, property and debt, and the length of the marriage. The court also considers contributions to the other spouse’s education or career, effects of caring for children, and a history of abuse.

Earning capacity concerns skills, education, and the available work, as well as the time and cost of further training. A disagreement about what someone could earn needs supporting facts. Another person’s salary or support payment on Reddit cannot establish what a court would order in your case.

Read what the order says about future changes

A support order can set payments, leave the issue open for a later decision, or end the court’s authority to award support. Ask which of those your proposed judgment does. A zero-dollar order that reserves jurisdiction can have a different effect from a termination of jurisdiction.

California Courts explains that a significant financial change may support a request to modify long-term support when modification is available. An agreement can restrict changes, so have its terms checked. If your finances change, seek advice promptly: the court’s ability to change past payments is limited by when a request is filed. Do not assume a job loss or another event changes the existing payment obligation by itself.

Prepare for a support conversation

Bring your current order or proposed agreement, recent income records, tax information, and a realistic record of expenses. Note the dates of marriage and separation and any periods apart. If work or health circumstances are disputed, ask what records would help explain them.

The Income and Expense Declaration, form FL-150, describes income and spending. Form FL-157 helps present the factors relevant to long-term support; form FL-349 records the court’s consideration of those factors. Check which forms your situation requires before filing anything. Ask how the proposed terms address future changes and what would happen if the court could no longer revisit support.

Official sources

Read the current instructions at the source. Requirements can change.

Sources checked November 5, 2026. General information only; confirm current requirements with the official sources and get advice about your circumstances.

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