SG - Our situations were similar, same state, but I got alimony for up to 10 years (would have been 12 - 1/2 the duration of the marriage -but I negotiated away 2 years in exchange for something else). I too was working but had "mommy-tracked" my career for many years, resulting in my H making about 4 times my income.
The alimony goes down if my income rises above a certain level. OR if HIS income drops dramatically due to disability. That's the risky thing about alimony. I do get to keep life insurance on him (at my expense) to cover the alimony if he gets hit by a truck. (A standard provision but one that freaked him out - he kept hinting I might hire a hit man to get the money lol. Guilty conscience??)
Even if he had given me all the house equity, it wouldn't have covered the alimony - plus, it would have left him unable to buy his home, which he had his heart set on, and which has benefited my kids. All in all, I'm ok with our settlement - although I would be happier if I didn't have the cohabitation issue to be concerned about.
Ex had a defined benefit pension, I had none, so it was divided by a QDRO - unfortunately, the rules still favor him over me, I'll get a relatively smaller portion even though most of it was accrued during the years of our marriage. The separate 401k was split 50:50.
