WYOMING Part 68

Terminating Payments

Alimony payments terminate automatically when the recipient spouse dies. Where the recipient spouse remarries, the paying spouse can ask the court to terminate payments. There is an exception to this, however. Spouses are free to agree to alimony payments on their own, without the court’s involvement, in a separation agreement. These types of agreements generally settle the spouse’s property rights and can include other arrangements dealing with child custody, child support, and alimony. If a spouse concedes in a separation agreement to pay alimony to the other spouse for 10 years, for example, but the recipient spouse remarries after five years, then the paying spouse could be stuck with making payments for the whole 10 years.

Consequently, if you decide to use a separation agreement to determine the length and amount of alimony payments you must make, be sure to include language about what happens if your spouse remarries.