n the Young v. Young case, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court considered how to frame the need for alimony. Is it the need to maintain the standard of living the recipient spouse had at the time of the separation leading to the divorce? Or is it the amount required to enable the standard of living the recipient spouse would have had in the future if the couple had not divorced? In this case, the SJC held that the answer is the need for support to maintain a life consistent with the marital lifestyle, not a future lifestyle.
