Two of the biggest alimony factors in Virginia when awarding spousal support are the financial need of the party asking for support and the ability of the person paying to supplement the income of the requesting spouse to meet their needs.
For couples without children, the formula involves subtracting 50% of the gross income of the receiving spouse from 27% of the gross income of the paying spouse. If there are children involved, the courts consider 58% of the receiving spouse's income and 26% of the paying spouse's income.
You can start a spousal support case in Virginia Juvenile & Domestic Relations district courts by filing a petition. Find your local J&DR district court at this page, with links to each local court. The local J&DR district court can provide you more information about how to file a spousal support petition.
The formula stated in § 16.1-278. is: (a) 30% of the gross income of the payor less 50% of the gross income of the payee in cases with no minor children and (b) 28% of the gross income of the payor less 58% of the gross income of the payee in cases where the parties have minor children in common.
The TCJA provides that as of January 1, 2019, the payor of spousal support can no longer claim deductions for the payments and the payments are no longer considered taxable income to the payee.
There is no fixed rule or set duration that automatically makes one spouse eligible or ineligible for alimony payments. However, marriage length is a crucial factor judges consider when determining whether to award alimony and, if so, how much and for how long.
California determines alimony based on the recipient's “marital standard of living,” which aims to allow the spouse to continue living in a similar manner as during the marriage.
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.