Courts decide alimony on a case-by-case basis. There is no definitive rule on how long a marriage must last before alimony can be awarded. If the parties cannot come to an agreement themselves, the court determines both the length and amount of alimony to be paid. In general, courts apply a three-year to one-year ratio awarding alimony payments; e.g., for every three years of marriage, one year of alimony is ordered. However, courts may impose different alimony-award time measurements.