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Last Modified on Nov 25, 2025
Many people facing divorce want to know how to avoid paying spousal support in Connecticut. There’s no guaranteed way to avoid paying. A court orders alimony only when it believes one spouse needs financial help and the other can afford to provide it. The goal is fairness, not punishment.
However, there are several legal and practical ways a person may reduce the likelihood of an alimony order being entered.
Hire a Spousal Support Lawyer With Years of Professional Experience
With over 136 years of combined professional experience, the team at Reich & Truax, PLLC, has dedicated their professional lives to helping secure happy futures for our clients. When you come into our Southport office for your confidential consultation, you’ll be met with the empathy you deserve.
After you explain the details of your situation, our family attorneys can offer transparent legal guidance so you can make the right choice for your case.
How Courts Determine Alimony
An average of 379,803 Connecticut residents were divorced in 2023. Every divorce case is unique. What may apply to one case may not apply to yours. However, if a court decides alimony must be paid, there’s usually no way to avoid paying. When deciding whether to award alimony, the court considers factors such as:
- The reasons for the divorce or separation
- The age and health of each spouse
- The length of the marriage
- Each spouse’s income and earning capacity
- Each spouse’s skills and education
In 2023, around 16% of divorces in the United States happened within the first five years of marriage. 24% of divorces occurred within 5 to 9 years of marriage.
Shorter marriages tend to result in short-term alimony, while marriages that last many years can result in long-term alimony payments. Around 22% of divorces in 2023 happened in long-term marriages of over 25 years. Each case is unique, making it important to hire a spousal support lawyer to help you understand what may apply in your situation.
Connecticut Laws That May Reduce or Eliminate Spousal Support
While you can’t avoid spousal support payments once the order is finalized, there are ways to try to show the judge it’s unnecessary. When you work with the team at Reich & Truax, PLLC, we’ll be able to assist in your custom legal strategy. Some options can include:
- Showing that both you and your spouse can support yourselves financially without additional help. Nowadays, it’s common for households to have dual incomes. In 2023, the average Connecticut household income was $93,760. If you can show the court that both you and your spouse have steady income and similar earning abilities, it can help show that alimony doesn’t fit your unique situation.
- Negotiating to trade spousal support for something else during property division. Connecticut can award alimony in lieu of, or alongside, property division. As long as the agreement is fair and approved by a judge, you can discuss giving your spouse property in place of spousal support.
How to Request a Modification to Your Alimony Order
A court in Connecticut can modify a finalized alimony order if there is a substantial change in either spouse’s circumstances, unless the original divorce decree specifically says the alimony amount can’t be changed. A substantial change can include:
- A big loss of income, such as losing a job
- A major increase in income
- Significant new expenses
If the court finds that a substantial change has happened, it’ll decide whether the alimony amount should:
- Stay the same
- Increase
- Decrease
- End
However, alimony orders can’t be changed for periods before the modification was requested.
FAQs
What Happens to Spousal Support Payments if the Non-Paying Spouse Moves in With Their New Partner?
A court may change, reduce, or end alimony if the person receiving alimony is living with someone else in a way that changes their financial needs. If the new living situation reduces their expenses or provides them with financial support, the paying spouse can ask the court to modify or stop the payments.
If the divorce agreement already includes specific rules governing when alimony will change due to cohabitation or other circumstances, the court will follow those agreed-upon terms.
What Happens if the Paying Spouse Refuses to Work in Order to Avoid Paying Alimony?
A spouse can’t get out of paying alimony by refusing to work, cutting their work hours, or taking a lower-paying job on purpose. When deciding alimony, a Connecticut court looks at each spouse’s earning capacity. This is what the person could earn based on their education, job history, skills, and health. If the court finds a spouse is choosing not to work even though they can, the judge can still order alimony based on their earning capacity.
What Happens if I Refuse to Pay Spousal Support After the Court Order Is Finalized?
If you disobey an alimony court order, there are severe legal consequences. The court can hold you in contempt. The judge can order wage garnishment, seize your bank accounts, place liens on your property, or require your assets to be used to pay alimony. They may require you to pay the other party’s attorney’s fees and the cost of serving the contempt papers. In serious cases, the court can order jail time until the paying spouse complies with the order.
What Happens if One Spouse Hides Assets During Divorce to Get Out of Paying Alimony?
If one spouse hides assets during divorce proceedings, it can lead to an unfair division of assets and lower alimony than the court would normally require. Both spouses are required to fully disclose all property, income, and assets in a Connecticut divorce. If a court discovers that a spouse intentionally hid assets, it can adjust the property division and alimony to account for the deception. The spouse who hid assets may face penalties for failing to comply with the law.
Choose an Experienced Divorce Law Firm to Represent Your Case
Contact our Southport office today to schedule your confidential consultation and learn how we can help you. The team at Reich & Truax, PLLC, prides itself on its efficiency in divorce cases. We know you don’t want to drag out legal proceedings and work tirelessly to ensure the most favorable outcome in the quickest possible manner.
