• Alimony is a regular payment made to a spouse after divorce.wedding image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Alimony payments are a common element of divorce proceeding. In Georgia, as with all states, there are specific guidelines that govern how alimony is to be arranged and distributed. If you are in Georgia and are considering or currently going through a divorce, then you need to be aware of these laws.
  
  

Georgia Alimony Law

• The alimony laws of Georgia are described in the Official Code of Georgia - Annotated in Title 19, Domestic Relations, Chapter 6 - Alimony and Child Support. These laws were most recently updated in 2009.
  
  

Determining Alimony in Georgia

• Alimony payments can be made by and paid to either the husband or wife. It can be required to be paid for a certain period or on a permanent basis. However, if the spouse requesting alimony is determined to have violated the marriage contract by committing adultery or negligence, alimony may be denied. In Georgia, alimony is determined in a family court trial and the terms must be argued by the counsel for both parties.
  
  

Terms of Alimony Payment

• The two major factors that determine the amount of alimony payments in Georgia are: the income and assets of the spouse that will be paying and the needs of the spouse receiving the payments. However, there are other factors such as: length of the marriage, emotional and mental state of the parties, the time it would take for the receiving spouse to become financially independent and other liabilities of the spouses during the marriage. Also, unless the parties agree not to modify, the terms of the payment can be changed.
  
  

Terms for Alimony Revocation

• If the spouse receiving alimony payments dies or remarries, then the alimony payments will cease. Also, if the alimony recipient is found to be involved in an elicit relationship that violates the terms of the alimony payments as determined by the courts