Alimony Calculator Georgia 2026
Georgia 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. Georgia 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.
Georgia Alimony Formula & Factors
Georgia has no alimony formula. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 lists what must be considered in fixing the amount: the standard of living during the marriage, its duration, the age and physical and emotional condition of both spouses, their financial resources, the time needed for education or training, each spouse's contribution to the marriage, and their separate estates, earning capacity and fixed liabilities. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-1 alimony is authorised but not required, according to the needs of one spouse and the ability of the other to pay, and a spouse whose adultery or desertion caused the separation is not entitled to it.
What This Alimony Calculator Georgia Tool Estimates
Because Georgia 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 Georgia law and Georgia 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.
Georgia Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | Georgia rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No formula; decided by the court | O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 |
| Length | No schedule; decided by the court | O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 |
| 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 Georgia law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 |
| 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: Alimony Calculator Georgia
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 Georgia 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; Georgia 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.
Georgia Alimony Duration Rules
Georgia 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 Georgia?
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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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. Permanent alimony obligations end when the recipient remarries unless the order provides otherwise (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5(b)).
Read the order itself and O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in Georgia about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 (Justia, 2024 Georgia Code); O.C.G.A. § 19-6-1 (Justia, 2024 Georgia Code); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in Georgia?
Georgia has no alimony formula. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 lists eight considerations, including the standard of living, the length of the marriage, age and health, financial resources and each spouse's contribution to the marriage, and § 19-6-1 ties alimony to need and ability to pay. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not Georgia law.
Does Georgia use a formula for alimony?
No. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 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 Georgia courts are not bound by.
How long does Georgia alimony last?
Georgia 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 Georgia law.
Can Georgia 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. Permanent alimony obligations end when the recipient remarries unless the order provides otherwise (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5(b)). Check the wording of your order and O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in Georgia?
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 Georgia state income tax, which is set separately.
Is there an alimony calculator Georgia courts use?
No. Georgia law contains no alimony formula, so there is no official figure for a calculator to reproduce. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 lists the considerations the judge or jury weighs. The figure on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method.
Is this Georgia alimony calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up, and the calculation runs in your browser, so the incomes you type are not uploaded by the calculator.
How do I use this alimony calculator Georgia tool step by step?
Enter each spouse's monthly gross income and the length of the marriage in years, then press Calculate. The result shows the monthly and yearly figure, what kind of figure it is, and how long support could last under Georgia law or, where the law is silent, under the reference method. Change any number and press Calculate again to compare.
Why does the alimony calculator Georgia estimate not match what the judge orders?
Because Georgia has no formula for the amount. A judge weighs the factors in O.C.G.A. § 19-6-5 on the evidence in each case, and the figure here is only an illustration using the AAML reference method. Two couples with the same incomes can receive different orders.
Does adultery bar alimony in Georgia?
Yes, in one situation. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-1(b) a spouse is not entitled to alimony if it is established by a preponderance of the evidence that the separation was caused by that spouse's adultery or desertion.
Does Georgia recognize permanent alimony?
Yes. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-1 says alimony is either temporary or permanent, and § 19-6-5 lets the finder of fact grant permanent alimony to either spouse. Permanent alimony obligations end if the recipient remarries unless the order provides otherwise.
Does this alimony calculator Georgia result include child support?
No. The figure is spousal support only. Child support is worked out separately under Georgia's child support guidelines.