Alimony Estimator

Alimony (spousal support) estimation combines income-based formulas with judicial discretion. Courts in the United States and many other countries use specific formulas as starting points, though final amounts depend heavily on state law, marriage duration, and individual circumstances.

Common US alimony formula (general guidelines):

Guideline Amount = 30–40% of Payor’s Gross Income − 20–30% of Recipient’s Gross Income

Some states use a specific duration formula:
Duration = Marriage Length × 0.3 to 0.5
(e.g., a 20-year marriage → 6–10 years of support)

New York publishes its own schedule instead: 15% to 30% of the marriage length up to 15 years, 30% to 40% from 15 to 20 years, and 35% to 50% beyond that. Texas sets hard limits of 5, 7 or 10 years depending on how long the marriage lasted. The calculator uses each state’s rule on its own option.

What each variable means:

• Payor: the higher-earning spouse who makes support payments
• Recipient: the lower-earning spouse who receives payments
• Gross income: pre-tax earnings from all sources: wages, self-employment, investment income, rental income
• Marriage duration: the length of the marriage is the single most important factor in duration of support
• Standard of living: courts aim to maintain a standard of living reasonably comparable to what existed during the marriage

Types of alimony:

• Temporary (pendente lite): during divorce proceedings only
• Rehabilitative: for a fixed period while recipient gains education or employment skills
• Permanent: rare; typically for very long marriages (20+ years) or disabled recipients
• Lump-sum: one-time payment in lieu of ongoing monthly payments

Factors that reduce or eliminate alimony:

• Recipient remarries (terminates in most jurisdictions)
• Cohabitation with a new partner (may suspend payments)
• Recipient’s income substantially increases
• Payor retires at normal retirement age

Reference: state-specific examples

• California: no formula; judge has full discretion
• New York: 30% of the payor’s income minus 20% of the recipient’s when no child support is paid, and 20% minus 25% when it is. Only payor income up to a cap counts, $241,000 a year from March 2026, and the cap is raised every two years.
• Texas: limited to the lesser of $5,000/month or 20% of the payor’s gross monthly income. Texas has no 40% test, and it generally orders maintenance only after 10 years of marriage.
• Florida: based on need and ability to pay, with no set formula. Since 2023 permanent alimony is gone, and durational alimony cannot exceed 35% of the difference between the two net incomes.

The 40% rule.

Nearly every guideline state applies a second test on top of the formula: the support cannot leave the recipient with more than about 40% of the couple’s combined gross income. When the formula produces a number that breaks that ceiling, the award is cut back to it. The calculator applies this and tells you when it has, because a result you cannot trace back to a rule is worse than no result.
Texas is the exception, and its option skips the test. Its limits are the $5,000 and 20% caps instead.

Worked example:

Payor gross income: $9,000/month. Recipient gross income: $2,500/month. Marriage: 14 years.

Estimated guideline: 30% × $9,000 − 20% × $2,500 = $2,700 − $500 = $2,200/month
The 40% check: combined income is $11,500, so the recipient may end up with at most $4,600.
$2,500 + $2,200 = $4,700, which is over, so the award is trimmed to $2,100/month.
Duration (× 0.4 for 14 years): 14 × 0.4 = 5.6 years
Total estimated payments: $2,100 × 12 × 5.6 = $141,120

Put the same couple on the New York option with child support and it comes out at 20% × $9,000 − 25% × $2,500 = $1,175/month, for 2.1 to 4.2 years on New York’s schedule. The formula runs lower because the payor will be paying child support on top of it.

Notice how close that cap came to binding. On a mid-range income gap it usually does, which is why a formula quoted on its own tends to overstate what a court actually orders.

This is a starting point only. Always consult a family law attorney for jurisdiction-specific guidance.