California Alimony Calculator 2026
California has no formula for the amount of spousal support. This page applies the state's rule on how long it can last and shows a clearly labelled illustration of the amount from both incomes. Everything runs privately in your browser, with no sign-up.
Not legal advice — a court decides. California has no statewide formula for the spousal support order in a divorce judgment; a judge weighs the statutory circumstances.
California Alimony Formula & Factors
California has no statewide formula for the spousal support ordered in a divorce judgment. Family Code § 4320 requires the court to consider a list of circumstances, including how far each spouse's earning capacity can maintain the standard of living of the marriage, the supported spouse's contribution to the other's education or career, the supporting spouse's ability to pay, each spouse's needs, obligations and assets, the length of the marriage, age and health, any documented history of domestic violence, the immediate tax consequences, and the balance of hardships.
What the Illustrative Estimate Is
Because California 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 California law and California 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.
California Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | California rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No statewide formula; circumstances listed in the statute | Fam. Code § 4320 |
| Marriage under 10 years | A reasonable period is generally half the length of the marriage | Fam. Code § 4320(l) |
| Marriage of 10 years or more | Presumed long duration; court keeps jurisdiction indefinitely | Fam. Code § 4336 |
| 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 California law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | Cal. Fam. Code §§ 4320, 4336 |
| 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: California 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 California law.
For a 12-year marriage, the California rule on length gives no fixed end date.
These are the figures the calculator shows when the page first loads. A real order depends on evidence a calculator cannot see.
California Alimony Duration Rules
Section 4320(l) states the goal that the supported spouse become self-supporting within a reasonable period of time and says that, except in a marriage of long duration, a reasonable period generally is one-half the length of the marriage. The court may still order support for a longer or shorter time.
Under Family Code § 4336, a marriage of 10 years or more from the wedding to the date of separation is presumed to be of long duration. In those cases the court keeps jurisdiction over support indefinitely unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing or the court ends support.
Is Alimony Taxable in California?
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 California 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 California 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 Cal. Fam. Code §§ 4320, 4336 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in California about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: Family Code § 4320 (California Legislative Information); Family Code § 4336 (California Legislative Information); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in California?
California has no statewide formula for the spousal support ordered in a divorce judgment. Family Code § 4320 lists the circumstances the judge must weigh, such as earning capacity, the marital standard of living, ability to pay, needs, the length of the marriage, age and health. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not California law.
Does California use a formula for alimony?
Not for the support order in the judgment. Family Code § 4320 requires the judge to weigh a list of circumstances and gives no percentage. The Code does give a duration guide: generally half the length of the marriage for marriages under 10 years.
How long does California alimony last?
Family Code § 4320(l) says a reasonable period for support is generally one-half the length of the marriage, except in a marriage of long duration. A marriage of 10 years or more is presumed to be of long duration, and the court then keeps jurisdiction indefinitely with no set end date (§ 4336). The judge can order a longer or shorter time in either case.
Can California 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 Cal. Fam. Code §§ 4320, 4336 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in California?
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 California state income tax, which is set separately.