Alimony and Spousal Support in Rhode Island

The Family Court may order alimony after considering the length of the marriage, the parties' conduct, health, age, station, occupation, income, vocational skills, employability, assets, liabilities and needs, and whether a spouse cannot support themselves because of child care duties or time out of work for homemaking, the time and cost to get training, the standard of living, and the paying spouse's ability to pay. Alimony is meant to support a spouse for a reasonable time to become self-sufficient, but may be indefinite when appropriate. It ends automatically when the receiving spouse remarries and can be modified on petition.

Rhode Island uses equitable distribution: the court may assign to either spouse a portion of the other's estate after considering the length of the marriage, conduct during the marriage, contributions to acquiring, preserving or increasing the estates, homemaker contributions, health and age, income, occupation and employability, future opportunities, contributions to the other's education or earning power, the custodial parent's need for the marital home, and wasteful dissipation. The court may not assign property a spouse held before the marriage (though income from it and appreciation due to either spouse's efforts during the marriage may be assigned), or property received by inheritance or by gift from a third party. Property is assigned before alimony is decided.