NYC Spousal Support Calculation In 2021, the cap was $192,000. Effective March 1, 2022, the spousal support cap will be $203,000.
The rule of 65 is this: add the number of years of cohabitation/marriage to the age of the support recipient on the date of separation; if those numbers added together total 65 or more, spousal support is indefinite.
Typically, the judge will take 20% of the lower-earning spouse's income and subtract that number from 30% of the higher-earning spouse's income. For example, one spouse makes $100,000, and the other makes $20,000. Thirty percent of $100,000 is $30,000, and 20% of $20,000 is $4,000.
In most cases, if a spouse can work and their former spouse cannot afford to provide spousal support, the court can deny alimony. It is pertinent to note that New York is a no-fault divorce state, meaning both parties could cite fault grounds, however, it will not affect whether a spouse is granted spousal maintenance.
The spousal support amount ranges from 1.5 to 2 percent of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes for each year of the relationship up to a maximum of 50 percent. For marriages of 25 years or longer, the range is from 37.5 to 50 percent of the income difference, practically equalizing the incomes.
The “rule of 65” takes into account not only the duration of the marriage but the individual's age at the time of the separation. It allows for indefinite support in cases where the marriage lasted at least five years and the age of the individual plus the number of years of marriage equals or exceeds 65.
The amount of support ranges from 1.5 to 2 per cent of the difference between the spouses' gross income amounts for each year of marriage or cohabitation, up to a maximum of 50 percent, (where 50 percent represents an equalization in income).
Amount ranges from 1.5 to 2 percent of the difference between the spouses' gross incomes (the gross income difference) for each year of marriage (or more precisely, year of cohabitation), up to a maximum of 50 percent. The range remains fixed for marriages 25 years or longer, at 37.5 to 50 percent of income difference.