Alimony calculator California: spousal support estimate
Alimony calculator, California: enter both net incomes and this tool estimates temporary spousal support with the guideline formula written into Santa Clara County’s local court rules: 40% of the higher earner’s net income minus 50% of the lower earner’s net income. Long-term support at the end of the case has no formula, so the tool shows the duration rule of thumb instead. It is an estimate, not legal advice, and a judge can order something different.
Net means after income taxes, Social Security and Medicare. Take-home pay is a fair start, plus anything taken out of the check that is not a tax.
Enter 0 if there is no income.
California counts from the wedding to the date of separation, not the date of the divorce.
California spousal support calculator: the temporary support formula
California has two kinds of spousal support, and they are set in different ways (California Courts self-help guide).
- Temporary support is paid while the divorce is going on. The self-help guide says judges use a guideline formula to set it. Santa Clara County Superior Court Family Rule 3.C says temporary support “is generally computed by taking 40% of the net income of the payor, minus 50% of the net income of the payee, adjusted for tax consequences” (Santa Clara County local family rules).
- Long-term support, also called permanent support, is ordered at the end of the case. The self-help guide says there is no math formula for it. The judge must weigh the factors in Family Code 4320.
If there are children, Santa Clara’s rule works out child support first and runs the spousal support formula on the income that is left. This calculator assumes no child support. Net income means income after taxes, and courts work it out from tax returns, pay stubs and an Income and Expense Declaration that both sides file.
Spousal support table for California: the formula at common incomes
Monthly temporary support under the 40% minus 50% formula, before the tax adjustment a court’s software makes. Rows are the higher earner’s net monthly income, columns the lower earner’s.
| Higher earner net | Lower earner nets $0 | Lower earner nets $2,000 | Lower earner nets $4,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| $7,500 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| $10,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| $12,500 | $5,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 |
| $15,000 | $6,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 |
These are numbers an alimony calculator California readers use can be checked against by hand, since the formula fits on paper. Notice how fast the number falls as the lower earner’s income rises. Each dollar she earns takes 50 cents off the formula, while each dollar he earns adds 40 cents.
How long spousal support lasts in California
Two parts of the Family Code set the outline. Family Code 4320(l) sets the goal that the supported spouse becomes self-supporting within a reasonable period of time, and says that, except in a marriage of long duration, a reasonable period is generally one-half the length of the marriage. It also says this does not limit the court’s power to order support for longer or shorter.
Family Code 4336 presumes that a marriage of 10 years or more, from the wedding to the date of separation, is a marriage of long duration. In those marriages the court keeps power over support with no set end date, unless the two of you agree otherwise in writing or the court ends it. Treat half the length of the marriage as a rule of thumb for shorter marriages, never as a promise.
Three examples, run through the calculator above
Every figure below is produced by the same code the tool runs. The incomes are examples, not typical awards.
Teresa, 54: married 22 years, back at work part time
He nets $11,000 a month and she nets $2,500. That is $4,400 minus $1,250, so temporary support of about $3,150 a month. She would have $5,650 a month and he would keep $7,850. At 22 years the marriage is presumed to be of long duration, so there is no half-the-marriage end date.
Mei, 47: married 8 years, no income since the move
He nets $8,000 a month and she has none. The formula gives $3,200 a month of temporary support. The marriage is under 10 years, so the rule of thumb for long-term support is about 4 years, with the judge free to order more or less.
Sandra, 58: married 12 years, a full-time salary of her own
He nets $7,000 and she nets $4,800. Forty percent of his is $2,800 and half of hers is $2,400, so the formula gives $400 a month. Close incomes can leave the temporary formula near zero even after a long marriage. Long-term support would still be decided on the 4320 factors.
What this estimate cannot see
The court’s number comes from software that adjusts for taxes, and from net incomes argued over with documents. Santa Clara’s written policy is that the court uses its formula at temporary hearings unless that would be unfair or the proven need is lower than the formula amount. Your county may use something different. If support and the retirement accounts are being traded against each other, compare them with the Marital Share Estimator. California is a community property state, which changes how the rest of the money is split: see community property states and, for a long marriage, divorce after 20 or 30 years.
Comparing states? The Illinois alimony calculator uses a statewide formula set in statute, including how long payments last.
Frequently asked questions
How is spousal support calculated in California?
There are two kinds. Temporary support, while the case is going on, is usually set with a guideline formula. Santa Clara County’s local rule says it is generally 40% of the payer’s net income minus 50% of the receiving spouse’s net income, adjusted for taxes, and the California Courts self-help guide shows the same formula. Long-term support at the end of the case has no formula: the judge weighs the factors in Family Code 4320.
How long does spousal support last in California?
For a marriage under 10 years, Family Code 4320(l) says the goal is for the supported spouse to be self-supporting within a reasonable period, which is generally half the length of the marriage. For a marriage of long duration, presumed at 10 years or more, there is no such rule of thumb, and the court keeps power over support with no set end date. In both cases the judge can order more or less.
Is a 10-year marriage special for spousal support in California?
Yes, for how long the court keeps power over support. Family Code 4336 presumes that a marriage of 10 years or more, counted from the wedding to the date of separation, is a marriage of long duration. The court can still find a shorter marriage to be long, and periods of separation during the marriage can count against it.
Does every California county use the 40% minus 50% formula?
No one rule covers the whole state. The formula on this page is written into Santa Clara County’s local family rules, and the state self-help guide says your court may use this formula or something different. Check the local rules of the superior court in your county.
Can a spousal support calculator for California give the exact number a court will order?
No. Courts run support in computer programs that adjust for taxes and work out child support first when there are children. Santa Clara’s rules ask both sides to bring a computer support printout to a temporary support hearing. This calculator shows the shape of the formula, not the order a judge will make.
Is long-term spousal support the same amount as temporary support?
Not necessarily. The California Courts self-help guide says there is no math formula for long-term support. The judge looks at the Family Code 4320 factors, such as the standard of living in the marriage, each person’s earning capacity, age and health, and the ability to pay.
Sources: Santa Clara County Superior Court, Local Rules, Family Rule 3.B and 3.C, and Family Rules Appendix, policy A.3 · California Courts self-help guide, temporary spousal support · California Courts self-help guide, long-term spousal support · California Family Code 4320 · California Family Code 4336. All checked October 2026. This calculator estimates one county’s temporary support formula. It is not legal advice, it cannot predict what a judge will order, and judges can deviate from any guideline.
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