The law governing the duration of alimony is pretty simple and straightforward:
See Utah Code § 30-3-5, subsections (1)(c) and (11)(e):
(1) As used in this section:
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(c) “Length of the marriage” means, for purposes of alimony, the number of years from the day on which the parties are legally married to the day on which the petition for divorce is filed with the court.
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11(e)
(i) Except as provided in Subsection (11)(e)(iii), the court may not order alimony for a period of time longer than the length of the marriage.
(ii) If a party is ordered to pay temporary alimony during the pendency of the divorce action, the period of time that the party pays temporary alimony shall be counted towards the period of time for which the party is ordered to pay alimony.
(iii) At any time before the termination of alimony, the court may find extenuating circumstances or good cause that justify the payment of alimony for a longer period of time than the length of the marriage.
Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277
https://www.quora.com/How-long-do-you-pay-alimony-in-NC/answer/Eric-Johnson-311