How does the Court determine the amount of alimony or spousal support?

For spousal support or alimony pendente lite, which are forms of support awarded prior to the entry of a Decree of Divorce, the Court follows the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines. Alimony, which is support after a Decree of Divorce is entered, must be awarded prior to the entry of the Decree of Divorce. When determining whether alimony should be awarded, the Court takes into consideration many factors, including the earnings of the parties; the earning capacity of each party; other sources of income for each party, including expected income and inheritances; the physical, mental and emotional status of the parties; the length of the marriage; contributions made by one party to the other to increase the earning capacity of the other party; the relative education of each party; the contribution of one spouse as a homemaker; the needs of the parties; marital misconduct; and whether a party seeking alimony is incapable of self-support through appropriate employment. Whether a party is a candidate for alimony is decided on a case-by-case basis.