Calculating alimony isn't a straightforward process; the amount and length of time a spouse receives alimony after a divorce depends on the state's spousal support guidelines. However, online alimony calculators can help you obtain an estimate of the amount of alimony you may receive.
Online Alimony Calculators
Because alimony laws differ in each state, online calculators not requesting the state in which the divorce will occur may not provide reliable calculations. These sources, however, can give you a general idea of the factors included in an alimony calculation by the court.
Support Calculators
- California Child and Spousal Support Calculator: This resource requests that you provide your and your spouses income, length of your marriage, tax filing status and the number of children from your marriage. It then calculates monthly and yearly amounts of support you might receive.
- Alimony Formula: Alimony formula asks for annual alimony amounts, gross incomes for payee and recipient spouses and the duration of alimony payments for Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Arizona, California and Massachusetts. To use the tool, you provide the length of your marriage as well as your and our spouses' gross and net incomes.
- Florida Divorce Center: On this website, you provide your and your spouse's gross income, the length of your marriage and the net amount of assets. The calculator then provides an estimated amount of monthly alimony payments. Note that this calculation only applies to Florida.
- Rosen Alimony Calculator: The Rosen alimony calculator requires providing your and your spouses gross incomes, the number of children of the marriage, any prior support obligations and the length of your marriage. The calculator also requires providing net income information, but helps you by inserting an estimate of this amount. Once complete, the calculator then provides estimated alimony payments and the length they last for Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado.
- Massachusetts Alimony Guidelines: To use this calculator, you enter the monthly amounts your basic and interest income as well as the date you filed for divorce. It then calculations the amount of alimony you may receive.
- Arizona Child Support Calculator: The Arizona Child Support Calculator requests that you provide your and your spouse's net and gross incomes, the amount of any child support you receive from the spouse or another parent, monthly health or day care costs and other information to provide you an estimate of how much spousal support you may receive.
Alimony Calculation Considerations
In the majority of states, the amount of spousal support a spouse receives is based solely upon the judge's discretion, and there is no specific calculation for determine alimony amounts or payment lengths. Judges consider many factors when establishing alimony awards, analyzing each as it existed within the marriage.
While the determination of alimony payments may be mostly subjective, there are alimony guidelines that the Court considers when making a judgment. These guidelines do not establish amounts but do guide a judge in their decision. These guidelines vary by state but usually require a court to consider:
- The length of the marriage
- The ability of spouses to work after the divorce
- The ability of one spouse to make alimony payments to the other
- The age, physical and emotional health of the spouses
- Financial and nonfinancial contributions by each of the spouses to the marriage
- The spouse's education and skills
- The division of assets in the divorce
- Fault in the divorce, if in a "fault" state
These factors are analyzed different according to each marriage. Therefore, you cannot compare alimony awards in divorce decrees to your situation.
Your Alimony Award
If you want to know how much alimony you can receive in your divorce, consider seeking legal advice. A lawyer will review the financial circumstances of your marriage and your marital assets and discuss how much of an award you could receive.
