As a general rule of thumb, courts in Washington State award one year of alimony for every three or four years of marriage. There is no statute or case law explicitly stating this formula, but it is an oft mentioned rule and generally what courts can be expected to do.
What Is the Rule of 65 for Spousal Support, and How Does It Affect Alimony Calculation in BC? The 'Rule of 65' under SSAG outlines the duration of spousal support after a long-term relationship in later life. If the recipient's age plus the marriage length totals 65 or more, they may receive indefinite support.
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.
Often, spousal support will last for between six months and one year for every year you were married or lived together. But if you were married for a long time and you're older when you separate, spousal support might not have an end date. The end date would be decided later, maybe after you (usually the payor) retire.
What Is the Rule of 65 for Spousal Support, and How Does It Affect Alimony Calculation in BC? The 'Rule of 65' under SSAG outlines the duration of spousal support after a long-term relationship in later life. If the recipient's age plus the marriage length totals 65 or more, they may receive indefinite support.
Short- or long-term spousal support, also called separation maintenance (or alimony in a divorce) may be required if one partner is financially reliant on the other. You may also be entitled to spousal support if your marriage lasted a certain period of time, or because of a variety of other factors.
As a general rule of thumb, courts in Washington State award one year of alimony for every three or four years of marriage. There is no statute or case law explicitly stating this formula, but it is an oft mentioned rule and generally what courts can be expected to do.
In essence, the court first looks at the economic need of the party seeking spousal support. The court measures this need by comparing the monthly income of the person seeking alimony with their monthly expenses. The shortfall between a party's income and their expenses is that party's economic need.