Arkansas Alimony Calculator 2026
Arkansas 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. Arkansas has no alimony formula. A judge decides whether to award alimony, how much and for how long; the figure below is an illustration, not a prediction.
Arkansas Alimony Statute — Ark. Code §9-12-312 and What Judges Weigh
Arkansas has no alimony formula. Ark. Code § 9-12-312 says only that the court shall make an order concerning alimony that is reasonable from the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case. It also allows rehabilitative alimony in fixed instalments for a specified period, and the court may require the recipient to provide a rehabilitation plan.
What the Illustrative Estimate Is
Because Arkansas 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 Arkansas law and Arkansas 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.
Arkansas Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | Arkansas rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No formula; decided by the court | Ark. Code § 9-12-312 |
| Length | No schedule; decided by the court | Ark. Code § 9-12-312 |
| 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 Arkansas law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | Ark. Code § 9-12-312 |
| 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: Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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; Arkansas 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.
Arkansas Alimony Duration Rules
Arkansas law sets no schedule for how long alimony lasts; the court fixes the period case by case.
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 Arkansas?
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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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. Unless the court orders or the spouses agree otherwise, Arkansas alimony stops automatically when the recipient remarries or lives full time with another person in an intimate, cohabiting relationship, or when either spouse dies. Either spouse may ask the court to review alimony after a significant and material change of circumstances.
Read the order itself and Ark. Code § 9-12-312 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in Arkansas about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: Ark. Code § 9-12-312 (Justia, 2024 Arkansas Code); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in Arkansas?
Arkansas has no alimony formula. Ark. Code § 9-12-312 says only that the alimony order must be reasonable from the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not Arkansas law.
Does Arkansas use a formula for alimony?
No. Ark. Code § 9-12-312 sets no percentage, cap or schedule for alimony, 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 Arkansas courts are not bound by.
How long does Arkansas alimony last?
Arkansas law sets no fixed schedule; the court sets the period case by case. The duration this page shows is an illustration using the AAML reference method (a fraction of the length of the marriage), not Arkansas law.
Can Arkansas 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. Unless the court orders or the spouses agree otherwise, Arkansas alimony stops automatically when the recipient remarries or lives full time with another person in an intimate, cohabiting relationship, or when either spouse dies. Either spouse may ask the court to review alimony after a significant and material change of circumstances. Check the wording of your order and Ark. Code § 9-12-312 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in Arkansas?
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 Arkansas state income tax, which is set separately.
What statute governs Arkansas alimony?
Ark. Code § 9-12-312. It says the court shall make an alimony order that is reasonable from the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case, lists the events that end alimony automatically, and allows rehabilitative alimony.