HB507 Summary

• Allows courts to award interim alimony in divorce, legal separation, or annulment cases filed after January 1, 2016, if the spouse maintains marriage validity, needs interim support, and the other spouse can pay.

• Permits courts to award reasonable interim fees, costs, and litigation expenses (including discovery, expert witnesses, attorney fees) from marital property or current income to ensure equitable access for both parties.

• Establishes rehabilitative alimony as the default award (limited to five years unless extraordinary circumstances exist) to help a spouse acquire ability to preserve the economic status quo of the marriage.

• Allows periodic alimony when rehabilitation is not feasible or fails, with duration limited to the length of the marriage unless the marriage lasted 20 years or longer (no time limit).

• Requires courts to consider specific factors including length of marriage, standard of living, relative fault, age, health, employment prospects, and contributions to spouse's education or earning ability when determining alimony awards.