Arizona law does not use a strict formula for calculating spousal maintenance, unlike child support. Instead, courts consider a variety of factors, including: Income and Earning Potential: The income of both spouses and their potential to earn post-divorce is a critical factor.
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.
If you qualify for alimony, the amount awarded will depend on several factors, including: The same factors used to decide if you qualify. Your marital standard of living. You and your spouse's age, health, earning capacity and relative financial resources.
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.
The spousal maintenance statute in Arizona was amended, and as a result, the Supreme Court developed the new guidelines. The main change is that spousal maintenance awards should only be granted for a period of time and in an amount necessary for the receiving spouse to become self-sufficient.