Married 9.5 years. No children. All assets have been divided. Wife does not work. Total monthly gross income = $21,000; total net income every 2 weeks = $5,400. How much spousal will have to be paid per month and for how long?

It is up to the judge.
A judge will look at the financial situation and lifestyle of both you and your spouse to calculate alimony payments.

* Income

How much each spouse earns has the biggest effect on alimony payments.


* Length of marriage

Longer marriages usually result in higher alimony payments.

* Lifestyle

The purpose of spousal support is to help the spouse with lower income to continue living a lifestyle comparable to the one he or she had before the divorce. This protects one of the spouses if he or she decided to stay home with children and may not have the skills or experience to find employment that will pay a high enough wage.

* Debt

Debt can have an influence on actual payments someone receives because that money may need to go into making payments.

* Assets

Your assets as a couple influence how much money a spouse receives.

* Future income

If the spouse requesting payment has the skills and training to find employment with a decent wage, that person may only receive a small amount or none at all.

* Disability or age

If the spouse is disabled or elderly it can affect how much someone will receive.

* Prenuptial agreement

The judge will consider the provisions of any prenuptial agreement.


Some states have minimum requirements to even consider alimony, such as Texas, where the minimum number of years you must be married to qualify for alimony is 10.

Several states do not award alimony payments to spouses found guilty of infidelity or other faulty offenses.