NORTH CAROLINA Part 69

The third and final new provision, section 50-16.3A of the North Carolina General Statutes, significantly rewrote and revised the rules for the entitlement, amount, and duration of alimony awards.

The North Carolina statute does not recognize the concept popular in other states of “rehabilitative alimony,” that is, alimony to a spouse to allow him or her to get back on his or her feet to previous, pre-marriage earning levels. Rather, alimony may be awarded only to the spouse who is actually substantially dependent upon the supportive spouse or is substantially in need of support, and/or the supporting spouse was at fault in break-up of the marriage.