If you are divorcing after years of building a life in Valencia or elsewhere in the Santa Clarita Valley, one number can feel enormous: 10 years. If you are asking, How long do you have to be married to get alimony, California has no minimum marriage length for requesting support. But if your marriage lasted at least 10 years, the court generally retains authority over spousal support indefinitely. That does not mean your former spouse will receive payments for life.