US Alimony & Spousal Support Calculator
Estimate monthly spousal maintenance (alimony) obligations, marriage duration caps, and combined child support sequencing across major US jurisdictions. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero paywalls, sign-ups, or data tracking.
Spousal Support & Alimony Guideline Calculator
Spousal Support Parameters
New York (NY)NY DRL § 236(B)(6)(f) advisory duration schedule recommends 15% to 30% of the marriage (22–43 months).
Spousal support (alimony) is subject to broad judicial discretion based on marital standard of living, earning capacity, age, health, and statutory factors.
When to Consult a Licensed Your State Family Law Attorney
Judges in Your State routinely depart from statutory guideline math when specific deviation factors exist (unusual travel costs for visitation, private school tuition, extraordinary medical needs, or dual-household expenses).
- ■Evaluate discretionary deviation thresholds for your specific jurisdiction
- ■Verify allowable self-employment deductions & net resource offsets
- ■Draft enforceable formal stipulations with the clerk of court
Alimonify is an independent informational calculation tool and is not a law firm, legal aid provider, or certified lawyer referral service. Alimonify does not provide legal representation, legal advice, or attorney referral services.
How US States Calculate Alimony & Spousal Maintenance
Unlike child support, which is federally mandated under Title IV-D, spousal support is governed by state-specific statutes that fall into three primary calculation regimes:
Enacted Statutory Maintenance Formulas
Applies explicit legislative equations to the payor's and recipient's incomes up to a statutory income cap, with distinct formulas depending on whether concurrent child support is paid.
Income Differential & Statutory Ceiling Caps
Caps spousal support at a strict percentage of the difference between the spouses' incomes (e.g., 35% net gap in Florida, 23%–28% post-TCJA gap in Massachusetts) or a hard dollar ceiling ($5,000/mo in Texas).
Multi-Factor Need & Cash-Flow Equalization
Courts evaluate statutory factor lists—marital standard of living, earning capacity, duration of marriage, and household budgets—often referencing after-tax cash flow equalization benchmarks.
Spousal Support & Alimony Legal FAQ
Is alimony tax-deductible for the paying spouse?
Under the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), for all divorce or separation agreements executed after December 31, 2018, alimony is no longer federally tax-deductible by the payor and is tax-free for the recipient on federal Form 1040. However, states like California, New York, and New Jersey did not conform their state tax codes—meaning alimony remains deductible/taxable on those state income tax returns.
How does length of marriage affect how long alimony lasts?
Modern state statutes tie alimony duration directly to the length of the marriage. For example, Massachusetts caps alimony at 50%–80% of marriage months for marriages under 20 years; Florida caps durational alimony at 50%–75% of the marriage and prohibits it for marriages under 3 years; Texas requires at least 10 years of marriage (absent family violence or disability).
Why is alimony calculated before child support?
Because child support under the Income Shares model depends on each parent's share of combined household income, courts first calculate spousal support, subtract that transfer from the paying spouse's income, and add it to the receiving spouse's income before computing child support. In Massachusetts, courts must compare both sequences under Cavanagh v. Cavanagh (2022).
When does alimony terminate early?
Across virtually all US jurisdictions, statutory spousal support automatically terminates upon the death of either spouse, the remarriage of the recipient spouse, or when the recipient spouse cohabitates with a new partner in a marriage-like relationship for a statutorily defined period (e.g., 90+ days in Massachusetts).