The court may award interim alimony in divorce, legal separation, or annulment cases if specific conditions are shown, and the order can later be modified, terminated, or made retroactive in some circumstances.
(a)(1) In an action for divorce, legal separation, or annulment, the court may award either spouse interim alimony based upon a showing of all of the following: a. The spouse maintains the validity of the marriage. b. The spouse needs interim alimony, after taking into consideration any other financial contributions provided by the other spouse pursuant to other interim orders of the court. c. The other spouse has the ability to pay interim alimony. (2) An award under subdivision (1) may be made retroactive to the date of the filing of the complaint. The amount awarded shall be based on the applicable factors for awarding rehabilitative or periodic alimony as established in subsections (d), (e), and (f) of Section 30-2-57. (b) An order awarding interim alimony may be terminated or prospectively modified at any time prior to the entry of a final judgment for good cause shown. In case of an emergency, the court may order or prospectively modify interim alimony without notice to the other party pursuant to Rule 65, Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, subject to the right of the other party to a hearing as soon as practicable for the purpose of determining whether the emergency order should be dissolved, maintained, or modified. (c) An order awarding interim alimony shall automatically terminate upon entry of the final judgment, the voluntary dismissal of all pending claims, or the abatement of the proceedings, subject to the following: (1) The jurisdiction of the court to continue or prospectively modify the interim alimony during a pending appeal, including a petition for a writ of certiorari, of the final judgment. (2) The right of either party to file a subsequent action to recover any arrearage or overage accumulated prior to the termination of the order. (d) In an action for divorce, legal separation, annulment, or appeals thereof, the court may award out of the marital property or current income reasonable interim fees, costs, and litigation expenses, including discovery, expert witnesses, guardians ad litem, special masters, and attorney fees, to enable each party to have equitable access to the marital property to pursue or defend the action. A denial of the requested motion for interim fees, costs, and litigation expenses does not preclude the court from making such an award. Upon final order, the court shall consider any award or other payments made for interim fees, costs, or litigation expenses.