Alaska Alimony Calculator 2026
Alaska has no alimony formula: a judge decides the amount and the length. This page explains what the law says and shows a clearly labelled illustration from both incomes and the length of the marriage. Everything runs privately in your browser, with no sign-up.
Not legal advice — a court decides. Alaska has no alimony formula. A judge decides whether to award maintenance, how much and for how long; the figure below is an illustration, not a prediction.
Alaska Alimony Formula & Factors
Alaska has no alimony formula. Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 lets the court award maintenance as may be just and necessary, for a limited or indefinite period and without regard to which spouse is at fault. The award must fairly allocate the economic effect of the divorce, based on the length of the marriage and the couple's station in life, the age and health of the spouses, their earning capacity, their financial condition including the cost of health insurance, their conduct including any unreasonable depletion of marital assets, and the division of property.
What the Illustrative Estimate Is
Because Alaska law gives no figure to calculate, the dollar amount on this page is an illustration only. It uses the reference method recommended by a commission of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and adopted by its Board of Governors in March 2007: 30% of the payor's gross income minus 20% of the recipient's gross income, limited so that the recipient ends up with no more than 40% of the couple's combined gross income. The method is set out in Mary Kay Kisthardt's article in the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (vol. 21, 2008) and summarised by Maryland's highest court in Boemio v. Boemio (2010).
The AAML method is not Alaska law and Alaska courts are not bound by it. It lists its own reasons to depart from the result, such as a spouse caring for a young or disabled child, age or health, or a career given up for the other spouse. It was written when alimony was still tax-deductible for the payer, and it does not apply when combined gross income is above $1,000,000 a year. Treat the figure as a starting point for a conversation with a lawyer, not as a prediction.
Alaska Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | Alaska rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No formula; decided by the court | Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 |
| Length | Maintenance may be awarded for a limited or an indefinite period. | Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 |
| Figure shown on this page | An illustration using the AAML reference method (30% of payor gross income − 20% of recipient gross income, limited to 40% of combined income) — not Alaska law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 |
| Federal income tax | Not deductible by the payer and not income to the recipient for agreements executed after 2018 | IRS Topic No. 452 |
Worked Example: Alaska Alimony Calculator
Take gross incomes of $8,000 and $3,000 a month. Under the AAML reference method, 30% of $8,000 is $2,400 and 20% of $3,000 is $600, a difference of $1,800. The limit is 40% of the combined $11,000, which is $4,400, less the recipient's own $3,000: $1,400. The illustrative amount is the lower figure, $1,400 a month ($16,800 a year). This is an illustration, not an amount set by Alaska law.
For a 12-year marriage the same reference method multiplies the length by 0.75, giving about 9 years. That too is an illustration; Alaska law sets no schedule.
These are the figures the calculator shows when the page first loads. A real order depends on evidence a calculator cannot see.
Alaska Alimony Duration Rules
Alaska law sets no schedule for how long maintenance lasts. Maintenance may be awarded for a limited or an indefinite period.
The duration this page shows is an illustration only. It uses the same AAML reference method: the length of the marriage multiplied by 0.3 for marriages of up to 3 years, 0.5 for more than 3 and up to 10 years, and 0.75 for more than 10 and up to 20 years, with open-ended support suggested after more than 20 years.
Is Alimony Taxable in Alaska?
For federal income tax, alimony or separate maintenance paid under a divorce or separation agreement executed after 2018 is not deductible by the payer and is not included in the recipient's income. Payments under an agreement executed before 2019 are generally still deductible by the payer and taxable to the recipient, unless the agreement was later modified and the modification expressly adopts the new rule (IRS Topic No. 452). Child support is never deductible and is not income.
This page does not cover Alaska state income tax. State rules are set separately and can differ from the federal rule, so check with the state tax agency or a tax adviser.
Modifying Alaska Alimony
Whether an order can be changed depends on its wording and on the type of support. In most cases either spouse can ask the court to modify periodic payments after a substantial change in circumstances, unless the decree or the spouses' agreement makes the support non-modifiable.
Read the order itself and Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in Alaska about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 (Justia, 2025 Alaska Statutes); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in Alaska?
Alaska has no alimony formula. Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160(a)(2) lets the court award maintenance as may be just and necessary, weighing the length of the marriage, age and health, earning capacity, financial condition, conduct and the property division. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not Alaska law.
Does Alaska use a formula for alimony?
No. Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 sets no percentage, cap or schedule for maintenance, so the judge decides the amount and the length case by case. Any calculator can only illustrate; this one uses the method published by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, which Alaska courts are not bound by.
How long does Alaska alimony last?
Alaska law sets no fixed schedule. Maintenance may be awarded for a limited or an indefinite period. The duration this page shows is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not Alaska law.
Can Alaska alimony be modified?
It depends on the order. In most cases either spouse can ask the court to modify periodic payments after a substantial change in circumstances, unless the decree or the spouses' agreement makes the support non-modifiable. Check the wording of your order and Alaska Stat. § 25.24.160 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in Alaska?
For federal income tax, alimony paid under a divorce or separation agreement executed after 2018 is not deductible by the payer and is not income to the recipient (IRS Topic No. 452). Agreements executed before 2019 generally keep the old treatment, deductible by the payer and taxable to the recipient, unless a later modification expressly adopts the new rule. This page does not cover Alaska state income tax, which is set separately.