Spousal Support Calculator

It's modeled on a guideline published by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a well-known reference point in family law circles, not a nationwide legal rule. No U.S. state is required to use it, and it's more commonly cited in the context of TEMPORARY support pending trial than final awards. Some states apply their own formulas for temporary support, and many decide both amount and duration through judicial discretion with no fixed formula at all.

The formula subtracts child support from Payer Annual Income before applying the 30% factor, on the reasoning that money already committed to child support isn't available to also fund spousal support. This mirrors how many courts weigh existing child support obligations as a factor in setting alimony, though the exact treatment and order of calculation varies by state and by judge.

This calculator models a stepped, generic pattern -- roughly 40% of marriage length for 5-9 year marriages, 60% for 10-19 years, and 80% for 20-plus years -- that reflects how courts in many states informally describe duration trending with marriage length, rather than a smooth formula found in any specific statute. Real state guidelines, where they exist, often use different breakpoints entirely.

Only the duration and the totals derived from it. Monthly Spousal Support and Annual Spousal Support come purely from Payer Annual Income, Recipient Annual Income, and Payer's Child Support Obligation -- Years of Marriage feeds only Estimated Duration, which then multiplies into Total Spousal Support, the cumulative figure over the assumed support period.

This model extends Estimated Duration when Recipient Age is 55 or older, reflecting how some courts weigh a recipient's shrinking window to rebuild earning capacity or retirement savings before their own retirement, and treats duration as potentially open-ended at 65+. This is one commonly cited factor among many that real courts weigh case by case, not a rule any specific state enacts as written here.