Just as the definition of marriage is changing today, with a growing number of states recognizing civil unions between same sex couples, the traditional view of divorce is changing, too, specifically when it comes to alimony payments.

A growing number of states are enacting new laws that throw away the old notion that alimony payments are a lifetime entitlement following divorce.

The Washington Times recently reported on a new bill in Massachusetts that limits the amount of time that some divorced spouses can receive alimony payments. The bill passed that state’s Senate unanimously.

The new bill says that couples who divorce before hitting their five-year anniversary can expect alimony to last just a few months or years, depending on the length of the marriage, the Washington Times reports. Couples who divorce after a marriage that lasts for decades might expect alimony to last until the former spouse making payments reaches official retirement age.

As the Times reports, Massachusetts is far from alone in taking steps to rework alimony payments. The story cites Texas and Mississippi, both states that award alimony payments only in marriages lasting at least 10 years. In Utah, former spouses only have to make alimony payments for as many years as the marriage itself lasted.

Supporters praise these changes, saying that the concept of alimony was long due for a reworking. Critics worry that some state measures go too far, and could leave former spouses in financially dire situations.

Whatever side of the issue you’re on, one thing is becoming clear: You can expect even more states to change the way alimony works.

Source: The Washington Times, “States no longer wedded to idea of alimony for life,” Cheryl Wetzstein, July 28, 2011