How is alimony calculated in South Carolina?
Answer:
South Carolina courts determine alimony by weighing statutory factors rather than applying a single fixed formula. Marriage length, finances, earning capacity, and other circumstances matter. The statute also restricts awards where adultery occurs before specified settlement or permanent-order events.
Current-law clarification — October 19, 2026: Ten years of marriage is not a statutory eligibility threshold. The adultery bar also has specific timing provisions that the original recording’s broad summary does not explain. See Section 20-3-130.
Alimony requires an individual assessment under South Carolina law. Our attorney emphasizes marriage length and differences in earnings as considerations.
There is no automatic ten-year threshold for entitlement. The statute directs the court to weigh multiple factors, including duration, financial circumstances, earning capacity, and other relevant considerations.
Adultery can also affect alimony. The statutory bar concerns adultery before the earliest of specified written-settlement or permanent-order events, so its application requires review of the facts and timing.
A family law attorney can assess the relevant evidence and explain how the statutory factors may affect a request.