All blessings to your mom, but you sort of proved my point - she was in deep financial distress due to her partnering with dad for the benefit of your family until her 50s.
This is the fate of many women who are ill used by their husbands. Not all.
I think a judge needs to look at the whole picture. Sometimes no alimony is warranted. Sometimes lifetime is.
My mom’s financial distress was temporary, she pulled herself out of it and honestly, was a better and happier person for it. More compassionate and confident. Had he divorced her, and she had lifetime alimony, I don’t believe she would have grown as a person. To me it is like what happens to people on welfare too long - as a stopgap it’s a good thing, but then it becomes a crutch.