Family Law

Alimony & Spousal Support Calculator

Estimate spousal support duration and monthly payment amount after divorce.

Free to Use No Data Stored Updated April 2026

Alimony & Spousal Support Calculator

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Understanding Spousal Support

Alimony is financial support paid by one ex-spouse to the other. Its purpose is to mitigate the unfair economic effects of a divorce by providing continuing income to a non-wage-earning or lower-wage-earning spouse.

General Guideline Formula (Varies by State) Duration = 30% to 50% of the length of the marriage
Amount = 30% of Difference between Higher and Lower Income

Note: Under federal law (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017), for divorces finalized after Dec 31, 2018, alimony is no longer tax-deductible for the payer, nor is it taxable income for the recipient.

Important Legal Disclaimer

Unlike child support, judges have enormous discretion when awarding alimony. This calculator uses a generic formula (30% difference in income) to provide a rough ballpark figure. This is not legal advice. Speak with a family law attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Alimony (spousal support) is awarded based on one spouse's need and the other spouse's ability to pay. It is not automatic and is heavily dependent on the length of the marriage and income disparity.

For marriages under 10 years, support typically lasts half the length of the marriage or less (to allow the lower-earning spouse to become self-supporting). For marriages over 10-20 years, some states allow for long-term or permanent alimony.

There is no strict national formula. Some states use a percentage formula (e.g., 30% of the payer's gross income minus 20% of the payee's gross income). Others rely entirely on the judge's discretion evaluating statutory factors (standard of living, age, health, earning capacity).

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