First Step: Eligibility for Alimony Judges may award alimony to a spouse who: doesn't have enough property to meet that spouse's needs, even after the couple's property has been divided in the divorce. doesn't have enough earning ability in the labor market to be self-sufficient.
The court can award an alimony amount within the target range or can deviate from it based on certain specified factors, including the recipient spouse's age and ability to be employed. Duration of alimony is now set based on the length of the marriage.
First Step: Eligibility for Alimony Judges may award alimony to a spouse who: doesn't have enough property to meet that spouse's needs, even after the couple's property has been divided in the divorce. doesn't have enough earning ability in the labor market to be self-sufficient.
California doesn't use a "calculator" for determining the amount of long-term spousal support. Instead, judges must decide how much to award after they've considered all of the following circumstances: each spouse's needs, based on the standard of living they had during the marriage.
Specifically in California, disqualification might result from several key factors. One such factor is a significant change in the financial status of the recipient spouse, such as acquiring a new job or receiving an inheritance, which could render them financially independent and no longer in need of support.
For the Rule of 65 to apply, three things must be true: (1) the party seeking the award is at least 42 years old, (2) the marriage length, as defined above, is at least 16 years (193 or more months), and (3) the age of the spouse seeking spousal maintenance plus the marriage length is equal to or greater than 65.
40% of the high earner's net monthly income minus 50% of the low earner's net monthly income. For instance, if Spouse A earns $5,000 per month and Spouse B earns $2,500 per month, temporary spousal support might be calculated as follows: 40% of $5,000 = $2,000. 50% of $2,500 = $1,250.
The guideline states that the paying spouse's support be presumptively 40% of his or her net monthly income, reduced by one-half of the receiving spouse's net monthly income. If child support is an issue, spousal support is calculated after child support is calculated.
For marriages less than ten years, support will last half the length of the marriage. For marriages more than 10 years, there's no assumption about what's reasonable.