• In Colorado, maintenance may take a big chunk of the paycheck, but there are no mandatory alimony laws.check book image by Rob Hill from Fotolia.com
  
  The laws surrounding alimony vary by state. Colorado alimony laws are fairly relaxed. In Colorado, alimony is typically called "maintenance," according to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide. Colorado maintenance laws were established to assist a spouse who is unable to support himself or herself or able to provide for reasonable needs through employment, according to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide.
  
  

Who has rights

• In the state of Colorado, there is no automatic right to maintenance, according to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide. Instead, the Court will take into account the divorced couple's standard of living before the marriage, standard of living during the marriage, and the non-requesting spouse's ability to pay the alimony and provide for themselves as well.
  
  

Amount of maintenance

• The amount of maintenance awarded in Colorado depends on the financial resources of the seeking party, their independent ability through financial support of their family and their career, the time necessary to acquire education and the duration of the marriage, according to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide. The Court will also consider the age, physical state and emotional state of the person seeking maintenance in Colorado. A final factor the Court will consider is the ability of the payee to meet his or her own needs while paying alimony.
  
  

Termination of Maintenance Agreement

• According to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide, maintenance will end when one former spouse dies or when the one receiving maintenance remarries. Colorado Divorce Information notes that the Court may also dictate another ending point because maintenance may be payable for a fixed, temporary or indefinite period of time.
  
  

Burden of taxes

• When maintenance is granted, the weight of the taxes on the money shifts from the person who is paying maintenance to the person receiving maintenance, according to Colorado Divorce and Family Law Guide. In Colorado, the same tax break is not granted for child support.