Not all spousal support orders are intended to last indefinitely. While it is true that in some cases an Illinois couple may end a long-term divorce and the support-receiving party may not have any chance of re-entering the workforce, for many divorcing parties there is some way for the recipient spouses to find ways to support themselves. Therefore, the type of spousal support that a court orders will have a lot to do with when that order will eventually end.

For example, a court may order a divorcing party to pay their soon-to-be ex support for a period long enough for the recipient to rehabilitate themselves. This could be a period of years if that is the amount of time the recipient needs to prepare themselves to get back to work, or it could be a matter of months if the recipient just needs some extra money to set themselves up for their post-divorce life.

There are also events that can bring about the end of a spousal support obligation. It is often the case that when a recipient spouse remarries that their spousal support from their prior spouse will end; courts generally do not require exes to provide for their former partners when those partners have started new marital relationships.

To better understand how one’s own spousal support obligation may come to its legal end, a reader should discuss their spousal support agreement or order with their trusted family law attorney. As different divorces may result in different support needs, it is important that readers consult their own family law documents for case-specific answers. This post provides an introduction to the topic of ending spousal support and does not offer legal advice.