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House approves bill to standardize alimony criteria across Utah
Summary
Lawmakers passed House Bill 83, which codifies factors for alimony decisions — including financial condition, earning capacity and the standard of living at the time of divorce — and limits alimony duration to the length of the marriage. The bill passed 68–2 and was sent to the Senate.
The Utah House passed legislation aimed at standardizing alimony determinations by codifying the factors courts must consider, the sponsor said on Feb. 15.
Representative Hammond moved to bring House Bill 83 to the floor. The sponsor described the measure as the product of a three‑year task force on divorce, custody and visitation. The bill lists concrete factors for courts to weigh — financial condition, each party’s earning capacity, who will pay, the ability of the payer to pay, the standard of living at the time of divorce and the needs of the spouse — and sets limits tying alimony duration to the length of the marriage. It also bars modification to address financial changes that did not exist at the time of the divorce, the sponsor said.
The sponsor said the bill remedies an inconsistent, case‑by‑case approach that produced different outcomes across localities and brings uniformity to alimony rulings. After a brief floor exchange and waived summation, the House recorded 68 affirmative and 2 negative votes and referred HB83 to the Senate.
Next steps: HB83 was transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
