Can alimony be modified after it is awarded by the Court?
Yes. There must be a showing of a substantial and material change of circumstance since the time of the award. In the past, an increase in the income of the spouse paying alimony was not a change of circumstance warranting an increase in alimony. Examples of changes in circumstances which warranted changing the amount and length of alimony are: the receiving spouse’s bi-polar prognosis did not improve as expected and the job market of the economically dependent spouse took a down turn and she was not able to earn close to the amount she had projected at trial. A motion must be filed before the award terminates or the Court cannot modify the previous award.
