Alimony Calculator

How to Calculate Spousal Support using Alimony Calculator

To calculate alimony or spousal support you will need the following information:

• Your gross yearly income. Gross income is income before taxes.
• Your net yearly income. Net income is income after taxes.
• Your spouse’s gross yearly income.
• Your spouse’s net yearly income.
• The amount that you or your spouse pays in child support for children that are the result of a prior relationship.
• The amount of child support you pay or receive for children of your relationship.
• Length of marriage.

Formulas in the Alimony Calculator

Our alimony calculator will provide you with a basic support calculation for the following states or formulas:

• AAML Formula
• Judge Ginsburg Formula
• Texas Formula
• Santa Clara County Formula (California)
• Rough-Cut 1/3-1/3-1/3 Rule of Thumb Formula
• Maricopa County Formula (Arizona)
• NY Formula
• Johnson County Bar Association Formula (Kansas)

Factors

Many states do not have a particular formula for calculating support.  In some states, alimony awards are based on a list of factors. The court reviews the evidence and the list of factors to determine the length of time you will pay/receive spousal support and the amount of the support. Those factors can include the length of the marriage, the age of parties, education of parties, individual contributions to the marriage, whether either spouse had an affair, and the overall estate and income of each of the parties. If you don’t see your state listed, you can use the average calculations.

Payment Terms

Alimony awards may be paid as a lump sum or in monthly installments. You should consult with your tax accountant if you plan to make your alimony payment in a lump sum. Prior to 2019, the paying spouse could deduct support payments from their tax return and the spouse receiving support had to pay the taxes. For orders entered after January 1, 2019, the law changed and the payor is no longer allowed to deduct support payments. The receiving spouse no longer has to pay tax payments.

Alimony Orders

Alimony may be agreed to in a separation agreement or mediated settlement agreement. If alimony is not agreed to you can file a claim for alimony with the court. In some states, you must raise your claim for alimony prior to the divorce decree being issued. If you fail to raise the alimony claim, you may lose your right to do so later. Alimony orders may be enforced through motions for contempt. Alimony in a separation agreement is enforceable through a lawsuit to enforce the contract. These are very different ways of enforcement.

Another important decision in determining whether to agree to alimony in an agreement or have it in a court order is the ability to modify alimony in the future. In some states, alimony that is in an agreement cannot be modified by the court.

The calculator below can provide you with an estimate as to how a court may handle alimony. The calculator is for educational purposes only and is not a substitution for legal advice.