Minnesota Alimony Calculator 2026
Minnesota has no formula for the amount of maintenance. 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. Minnesota has no formula for the amount of maintenance; a judge decides it, guided by the statutory presumptions on length shown.
Minnesota Alimony Formula & Factors
Minnesota has no formula for the amount of maintenance, but it has presumptions about how long maintenance lasts. Minn. Stat. § 518.552 allows maintenance if the spouse asking lacks sufficient property for reasonable needs considering the marital standard of living, cannot provide adequate self-support, or has custody of a child whose circumstances make outside work inappropriate.
The amount is what the court deems just, without regard to marital misconduct, after considering that spouse's financial resources, the time needed for education or training, the standard of living and how far it was funded by debt, the length of the marriage and opportunities forgone, the age and health of both spouses, the other spouse's ability to pay, contributions to the other's employment or business, and each spouse's need and ability to prepare for retirement.
What the Illustrative Estimate Is
Because Minnesota 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 Minnesota law and Minnesota 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.
Minnesota Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | Minnesota rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No formula; eight listed factors | Minn. Stat. § 518.552, subd. 2 |
| Marriage under 5 years | Presumption: no maintenance | Minn. Stat. § 518.552, subd. 3(c)(1) |
| 5 to under 20 years | Presumption: transitional maintenance, no longer than half the marriage | Minn. Stat. § 518.552, subd. 3(c)(2) |
| 20 years or more | Presumption: indefinite maintenance | Minn. Stat. § 518.552, subd. 3(c)(3) |
| 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 Minnesota law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | Minn. Stat. § 518.552 |
| 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: Minnesota 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 Minnesota law.
For a 12-year marriage, the Minnesota rule on length gives up to 6 years.
These are the figures the calculator shows when the page first loads. A real order depends on evidence a calculator cannot see.
Minnesota Alimony Duration Rules
Maintenance is either transitional or indefinite. When the marriage, counted from the wedding to the start of the case, lasted less than 5 years, it is rebuttably presumed that no maintenance should be awarded. For at least 5 and less than 20 years, transitional maintenance of no longer than half the length of the marriage is presumed. For 20 years or more, indefinite maintenance is presumed. Each presumption operates only if the grounds for maintenance are met.
Is Alimony Taxable in Minnesota?
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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minn. Stat. § 518.552 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in Minnesota about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: Minn. Stat. § 518.552 (Minnesota Revisor of Statutes); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in Minnesota?
Minnesota has no formula for the amount. Under Minn. Stat. § 518.552 the court sets an amount it deems just after weighing eight factors, including financial resources, the standard of living, the length of the marriage, age and health, and the other spouse's ability to pay. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not Minnesota law.
Does Minnesota use a formula for alimony?
No. Minn. Stat. § 518.552 lists factors for the amount rather than a percentage. Subdivision 3 does set rebuttable presumptions on duration based on the length of the marriage.
How long does Minnesota alimony last?
Under Minn. Stat. § 518.552, subd. 3, no maintenance is presumed after a marriage of less than 5 years; transitional maintenance of no longer than half the marriage is presumed for 5 to under 20 years (up to 6 years after a 12-year marriage); and indefinite maintenance is presumed after 20 years or more. Each presumption can be rebutted.
Can Minnesota 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 Minn. Stat. § 518.552 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in Minnesota?
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 Minnesota state income tax, which is set separately.