Do I need to be married 10 years before I can get spousal maintenance?
No. There is no minimum length of marriage requirement in the law. Obviously, though, the shorter the marriage, the less likely Spousal MaintenanceThese are payments made from one spouse to another when one spouse cannot financially meet their reasonable needs on their own. The law permits spousal maintenance (or alimony as it’s called in other states) for several reasons—to help maintain the lifestyle the parties enjoyed…Read more about Spousal Maintenance is to be ordered. You should be aware that certain other benefits that you may be entitled may require a minimum length of marriage. This is particularly true if you want to draw on your spouse’s Social Security (a 10-year marriage). If your spouse is in the military and will qualify for military retirement pay not related to a disability, there may be benefits available to you depending on the length of the marriage.