New Jersey Alimony Calculator 2026
New Jersey has no formula for the amount of alimony. 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. New Jersey has no alimony formula; a judge decides the amount from fourteen factors, within the time limit shown for shorter marriages.
New Jersey Alimony Formula & Factors
New Jersey has no alimony formula, but it limits the length of alimony after shorter marriages. N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 allows open durational, rehabilitative, limited duration and reimbursement alimony. The court must consider fourteen factors, starting with the actual need and ability of the spouses to pay, and including the length of the marriage, age and health, the standard of living and each spouse's ability to maintain a reasonably comparable one, earning capacity and employability, time out of the job market, parental responsibilities, the property division, and the tax treatment of the award.
What the Illustrative Estimate Is
Because New Jersey 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 New Jersey law and New Jersey 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.
New Jersey Alimony Rules at a Glance
| Point | New Jersey rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | No formula; fourteen listed factors | N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(b) |
| Marriage under 20 years | Total duration no longer than the marriage, except in exceptional circumstances | N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(c) |
| Marriage of 20 years or more | No statutory cap; open durational alimony possible | N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(b), (c) |
| 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 New Jersey law | AAML Commission recommendations (2007) |
| Who decides | A judge, on the evidence in the case | N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 |
| 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: New Jersey 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 New Jersey law.
For a 12-year marriage, the New Jersey rule on length gives up to 12 years.
These are the figures the calculator shows when the page first loads. A real order depends on evidence a calculator cannot see.
New Jersey Alimony Duration Rules
For any marriage of less than 20 years, the total duration of alimony may not exceed the length of the marriage except in exceptional circumstances. The statute lists circumstances that can justify a longer term, such as the ages of the spouses, chronic illness, or a career given up to support the other spouse's career. For marriages of 20 years or more the statute sets no cap, and open durational alimony may be awarded.
Is Alimony Taxable in New Jersey?
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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 before relying on a general rule, and get advice from a family lawyer licensed in New Jersey about your own case. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
Last updated: October 2026. Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 (Justia, 2025 New Jersey Revised Statutes); AAML Commission recommendations (Kisthardt, 21 J. Am. Acad. Matrim. Law. 61); IRS Topic No. 452.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is alimony calculated in New Jersey?
New Jersey has no formula. N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(b) requires the court to weigh fourteen factors, beginning with the actual need and ability of the spouses to pay and including the length of the marriage, the standard of living, earning capacity and the property division. The amount on this page is an illustration using the AAML reference method, not New Jersey law.
Does New Jersey use a formula for alimony?
No. N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 lists factors rather than a percentage. It does limit duration: after a marriage of less than 20 years, alimony may not last longer than the marriage except in exceptional circumstances.
How long does New Jersey alimony last?
For a marriage of less than 20 years, the total duration of alimony may not exceed the length of the marriage except in exceptional circumstances, so up to 12 years after a 12-year marriage (N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(c)). After 20 years or more there is no statutory cap and open durational alimony may be awarded.
Can New Jersey 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 N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 before relying on a general rule.
Is alimony taxable in New Jersey?
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 New Jersey state income tax, which is set separately.