Loan Spousal Support Calculator
An advisory-formula estimate with the formula printed: the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines’ without-child-support calculation — a percentage of the income gap per year of marriage, with a duration range to match.
The SSAG without-child-support formula: support runs 1.5–2.0% of the gross income difference for each year of the relationship, capped at 50% of the difference; duration runs 0.5–1.0 years per year of marriage. Support is typically indefinite (no fixed end date) after 20+ years, or when age + years together reach 65 (the Rule of 65, relationship of 5+ years). Where child support is also payable it is calculated first and a different SSAG formula applies — run the Child Support Calculator first in that case.
How it works
The formula works off the income gap, not the higher income alone. For each year of marriage, the lower earner is entitled to a growing share of that gap: 1.5% per year at the low end, 2.0% at the high end, never more than 50% total. Twelve years therefore produces 18–24% of the gap. Duration mirrors it: half a year to a full year of support per year of marriage, stepping up to indefinite at long durations or under the Rule of 65. The SSAG range is deliberately a range — where a case lands inside it turns on needs, roles during the marriage, health, and the ability to become self-supporting.
Method & worked example
Method: SSAG without-child-support formula (advisory): annual support = gross income difference × (1.5% to 2.0% × years of relationship), capped at 50% of the difference. Duration = 0.5 to 1.0 years per year of relationship; indefinite at 20+ years or under the Rule of 65 (recipient age + years ≥ 65, relationship ≥ 5 years). Estimate only; state law varies; not legal advice.
Worked example: Incomes $120,000 and $50,000, 12 years: gap $70,000 × 18–24% = $1,050–$1,400 per month (midpoint $1,225), for a duration of 6–12 years.
When to use this
- You are trying to understand the structure of an alimony discussion before seeing a lawyer.
- You are modeling settlement scenarios at different marriage lengths.
- You want duration estimated alongside amount — the two move together.
- You need the Rule of 65 checked against real ages and years.
How to use it, step by step
- Enter both gross annual incomes — the formula runs on the gap.
- Enter years of marriage/cohabitation.
- Add the recipient’s age if you want the Rule of 65 assessed.
- Read the low–high monthly range and the duration range together.
- If children are involved, run the Child Support Calculator first and treat this page as structure only.
What the inputs mean
| Input | What it is | Typical values |
|---|---|---|
| Income gap | Higher minus lower gross income — the formula’s base | Percentages apply to the gap, never to total income |
| Years | Length of marriage/cohabitation — drives both % and duration | 12 yrs → 18–24% of gap; 20+ → indefinite duration |
| Recipient age | Only used for the Rule of 65 duration test | Age + years ≥ 65 triggers indefinite |
Another worked example
Incomes $90,000 and $30,000, 22 years, recipient 48: gap $60,000 × 33–44% = $1,650–$2,200/month, and duration is indefinite — the marriage clears 20 years, and 48 + 22 = 70 clears the Rule of 65 as well.
Frequently asked questions
How much spousal support on a $70,000 income gap after 12 years?
The formula gives 1.5–2.0% of the gap per year: 12 years × 1.5% = 18% (low) and × 2.0% = 24% (high) of $70,000 — $12,600 to $16,800 a year, or $1,050–$1,400 a month, midpoint $1,225. Duration at 12 years runs 6–12 years of support.
What is the Rule of 65?
An SSAG duration rule: if the recipient’s age plus the years of the relationship total 65 or more (and the relationship lasted at least 5 years), support is generally indefinite — reviewed on changed circumstances rather than ending on a date. A 22-year marriage with a 48-year-old recipient (48 + 22 = 70) qualifies, and also clears the separate 20-year indefinite threshold.
What happens after a 22-year marriage?
On incomes of $90,000 and $30,000 (a $60,000 gap): 22 years × 1.5–2.0% = 33–44% of the gap — $1,650–$2,200 a month — and duration is indefinite under both the 20-year rule and the Rule of 65. "Indefinite" still means modifiable: retirement, job loss or remarriage can reopen it.
Does this apply when child support is also paid?
Not directly. Where children are involved, child support is calculated first (it has priority), incomes are adjusted, and the SSAG "with child support" formula — based on net disposable income shares — applies instead. Running this without-child formula on a with-children case overstates the spousal figure.
Why a range instead of a number?
Because the honest answer is a range. The advisory guidelines publish low/high endpoints on purpose: the low end fits a recipient close to self-sufficiency after a shorter, more independent marriage; the high end fits traditional roles, health limits, or a long absence from the workforce. Courts and negotiators locate a case inside the range on its facts.
Is alimony taxable?
For US divorce instruments executed after December 31, 2018: no — the payer gets no deduction and the recipient pays no tax on it, a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act change that also repriced settlements (a pre-tax dollar of alimony now costs the payer a full dollar). Older agreements keep the old treatment unless modified to adopt the new one. Canadian treatment differs again. Confirm with a tax professional for your instrument.
How is spousal support different from child support?
Child support is the children’s entitlement, formula-driven in every state, and not modifiable by agreement below guideline without court approval. Spousal support supports the former spouse, is far more discretionary, and ends or changes on events like remarriage or retirement. In combined cases child support is computed first — the Child Support Calculator covers that model.