WASHINGTON Part 29

Changing or Terminating Payments

As soon as a maintenance order is in place, it may be changed for as long as payments are due unless there is a divorce agreement that says otherwise. Generally, changes to the amount of maintenance payments only can be made going forward. For example, if the paying spouse gets a substantial promotion after making payments for one year, the recipient spouse can’t ask the court to increase the amount on payments that have already been made. Instead, the recipient spouse could ask the court to increase future payments based on this new salary, but must show that this increase is a substantial change of circumstances.

Maintenance payments terminate if either spouse dies or if the spouse receiving maintenance remarries or files for a new domestic partnership.