Updated September 1, 2026. Quick answer: New Hampshire sets term alimony at the lesser of the payee's reasonable need or 23% of the parties' gross-income difference unless justice requires an adjustment; the statute substitutes 30% if federal law again makes alimony deductible to the payor and taxable to the payee.
This page is limited to the controlling New Hampshire alimony rule captured below. It does not substitute a generic gray-divorce checklist for the state-specific answer.
The state rule that changes the answer
- New Hampshire sets term alimony at the lesser of the payee's reasonable need or 23% of the parties' gross-income difference unless justice requires an adjustment; the statute substitutes 30% if federal law again makes alimony deductible to the payor and taxable to the payee.
- The maximum term is 50% of the marriage length unless the parties agree otherwise or the court finds that justice requires an adjustment.
- A party seeking an adjustment bears the burden, and the statute lists special circumstances that can justify changing the formula, duration limit, or both.
Build the later-life review sheet
Copy each factor, threshold, formula, or procedure named in the controlling section into a separate field before comparing possible support structures. Do not add an input the source does not name.
Label each entry as eligibility, amount, duration, termination, or required finding, as applicable. That keeps a threshold rule from being presented as a guaranteed result.
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This page does not restate property-division, QDRO or pension, Social Security or Medicare, estate, divorce-statistics, or debt content.
Primary source and verification
The controlling source used here is N.H. Rev. Stat. § 458:19-a. Confirm the current official text and the facts of the order before acting; this is a source-backed planning guide, not individualized legal advice.