Answer: Enter your values and the California Alimony Calculator returns the exact result instantly — formula, worked example, and a plain-English explanation are included below the tool.
Temporary spousal support under the guideline formula many California counties use
California splits alimony into two very different phases, and only one of them has a formula. While the divorce is pending, courts award temporary support, called pendente lite support, and many counties (Santa Clara and Alameda are the best-known examples) compute it with a guideline: 40% of the higher earner's net monthly income minus 50% of the lower earner's net, before any child support adjustments. That's the formula this calculator runs, with net approximated as 70% of gross if you only know gross pay.
Long-term support after the judgment is a different animal. There's no formula; judges weigh the Family Code section 4320 factors, including each spouse's earning capacity, the marital standard of living, age, health, and contributions to the other's career. Marriage length matters a lot: marriages of roughly 10 years or more count as "long duration," which keeps the court's jurisdiction over support open indefinitely, while shorter marriages often see support for about half the marriage length. Use the guideline number below as a starting point for the temporary phase, not a prediction of the final order.
⚖️ Not legal advice. Real awards depend on the judge, state statutes, and negotiated agreements. These formulas are educational starting points; talk to a family law attorney.
| Higher Earner Net | Lower Earner Net $0 | Lower Earner Net $2,000 | Lower Earner Net $4,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| $6,000 | $2,400 | $1,400 | $400 |
| $7,500 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| $10,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| $12,500 | $5,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 |
| $15,000 | $6,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 |
| $17,500 | $7,000 | $6,000 | $5,000 |
| $20,000 | $8,000 | $7,000 | $6,000 |
Every cell is 40% of the higher earner's net minus 50% of the lower earner's net, floored at zero. Example: $10,000 and $4,000 nets give $4,000 minus $2,000, which is $2,000 a month.
| Marriage length | Common duration target | Court's jurisdiction | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 years ("short duration") | ≈ half the marriage's length | Closes at the end of the ordered term | An 8-year marriage suggests roughly 4 years of support |
| 10 years or more ("long duration") | No fixed target; judge weighs the 4320 factors | Stays open indefinitely | Indefinite jurisdiction, not a guarantee of lifetime pay |
| Any length, temporary phase | While the divorce is pending | Ends at judgment | Guideline formula applies here, then drops away |
Judges can order shorter or longer terms when the facts justify it — a spouse who sacrificed a career for a 12-year marriage and needs retraining may get more than the formula of thumb suggests, and a self-supporting spouse may get nothing at all.
Child support comes first. When one parent also pays guideline child support, the spousal support formula runs on income after that obligation, which usually lowers the number, and courts use certified software (DissoMaster is the common one) for the combined calculation. The formula also ignores the section 4320 factors entirely, which is exactly why judges may only use it for the temporary phase. For a multi-state view, the main alimony calculator compares California-style outcomes with Texas, New York, and Illinois, and the child support calculator handles the kids' side of the ledger.
Once the divorce is final, the guideline formula drops away and the judge works through the Family Code section 4320 factors, a list of fourteen considerations that starts with the length of the marriage and each spouse's needs. The heavy hitters in real cases:
Because these factors are judgment calls, two nearly identical marriages can land at meaningfully different numbers, which is also why settlement negotiations anchored on the guideline figure so often close near it. The judge's job at trial is balance, not arithmetic.
Nothing about a support order is permanent except its modification clause, and most orders reserve jurisdiction over it. Either spouse can request a modification when circumstances change materially: a job loss, a serious illness, retirement, or a big raise on the receiving side all qualify as the kind of shift that reopens the question. The requesting spouse has to show the change is substantial and not self-inflicted — quitting a job to force a recalculation rarely persuades anyone.
Three events end support outright. Remarriage of the receiving spouse terminates court-ordered support automatically unless the written agreement says otherwise, and the death of either spouse does the same. Cohabitation sits in between: when the receiving spouse moves in with a new romantic partner, California law raises a rebuttable presumption of reduced need. The paying spouse can invoke it to seek a reduction or termination, but the receiving spouse can rebut it by showing the new arrangement doesn't actually lighten their expenses. For the general framework across states, see the how alimony is calculated guide, and for the Texas side of the fence, the Texas alimony calculator shows how much tighter that state's caps run.
There are two phases. Temporary support during the divorce follows a county guideline in many courts: 40% of the higher earner's net monthly income minus 50% of the lower earner's, adjusted when child support is also being paid. Long-term support after the divorce has no formula at all; judges weigh the Family Code section 4320 factors, including marriage length, earning capacity, age, health, and the marital standard of living.
Sort of, but it's widely misunderstood. A marriage of about 10 years or more is presumed to be of long duration, which means the court keeps jurisdiction over support indefinitely rather than guaranteeing lifetime payments. For shorter marriages, the common rule of thumb is support for half the length of the marriage. Either way, amounts can be modified or ended as circumstances change.
Federal and state rules split here. For agreements signed after 2018, spousal support isn't deductible for the payer or taxable to the recipient on federal returns. California didn't adopt that change for state taxes, so on a California return the payer can still deduct support and the recipient still reports it as income.
For marriages under 10 years, the statutory goal is self-support within a reasonable period, and courts commonly aim for support lasting about half the marriage's length, so an 8-year marriage suggests roughly 4 years of support. At 10 years or more, the marriage counts as long duration and the court's jurisdiction stays open indefinitely, though indefinite jurisdiction is not the same as lifetime payments.
Remarriage of the receiving spouse generally ends court-ordered support automatically unless the spouses agreed otherwise in writing. Death of either spouse also ends it. When the receiving spouse moves in with a new romantic partner, the law raises a rebuttable presumption of reduced need, which the paying spouse can use to request a reduction or termination, though it is not automatic.