22.210 Alimony

22.210 Alimony Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, alimony is defined as an award from one party for the support of the other when the parties are living separate and apart. O.C.G.A. §19-6-1(a). You are authorized, but not required, to award alimony to the party claiming a right to alimony in accordance with that party's needs and the other spouse's ability to pay. O.C.G.A. §19-6-1(c). (The following should be used if the charge on equitable division of property has been given.) If you decide to make an award of alimony in this case, then you should take into consideration whether such award is in place of or in addition to an award of equitable division of property. Additionally, you should bear in mind that assets assigned as separate property assets that were not subject to an equitable division may be awarded as alimony. Before considering the amount of alimony to be awarded, you must first decide whether the party or parties requesting alimony should receive alimony at all. You should consider all factors given to you in this charge in determining whether or not to award alimony and, if so, how much. A spouse is not entitled to alimony as a matter of right solely because the parties have been married. In determining whether or not to grant alimony, you should consider evidence, if any, of the factual cause of the separation between parties and evidence, if any, of each party's conduct toward the other. O.C.G.A. §19-6-1 Odom v. Odom, 239 Ga. 830 (1977)