California Alimony Calculator: Temporary Spousal Support Guideline
California temporary spousal support by the common court guideline (40% of the higher net income minus 50% of the lower), plus how long long-term support usually starts out lasting.
Most California courts set temporary spousal support from a guideline: 40% of the higher earner's net monthly income minus 50% of the lower earner's. At $7,500 and $3,200 a month take-home, that is $1,400 a month while the case is open. Long-term support after the judgment has no formula; after 8 years of marriage the judge starts from 48 months, half its length.
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Temporary Support by the Common Guideline
Estimated • Based on your inputs
Long-Term Support: Duration Starting Point
48 months, half the 8-year marriage
Detailed Breakdown
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Calculation methodology and assumptions
Two rules from the Judicial Council of California, California Courts Self-Help Guide: Spousal support, read 2026-10-21. Temporary support, ordered while the divorce, legal separation or domestic violence case is open: most California courts start from a guideline formula, and the common one takes 40% of the higher earner's net monthly income and subtracts 50% of the lower earner's net monthly income; this calculator applies that formula to the take-home pay you enter and shows $0 when the result is negative. Your county may use a different guideline or software, and a judge can depart from it for costs such as a child's college, large medical bills or substantial savings. Long-term support, ordered in the judgment: there is no formula. The judge weighs the Family Code section 4320 factors, starting from support for half the length of a marriage under 10 years and no presumed end for a longer one. The calculator gives that duration starting point and never a long-term amount.
Key State Information
California calls alimony spousal support, and domestic partner support between registered domestic partners. A spouse can ask for temporary support as soon as the case is filed. Many marriages end with no long-term support at all; it is more likely after a long marriage or when one spouse earns far more. At the end of the case the judge can order an amount, reserve support at $0 so it can be ordered later, or end the court's power to award it. Your court's family law facilitator or self-help center may be able to run the local guideline software for you.
Example Calculation
A California couple separates after 6 years. One spouse takes home $8,800 a month, the other $2,400, and the lower earner asks for temporary support when the divorce is filed.
40% of $8,800 is $3,520; 50% of $2,400 is $1,200. The difference is the common guideline amount. Because the marriage lasted under ten years, the judge would start long-term support from half its length, 36 months.
Result: Temporary guideline: $2,320 a month, leaving $6,480 and $4,720. Long-term support, if any, is set by the judge from the section 4320 factors, with 36 months as the starting point for its length.
The temporary support guideline at five income pairs
Each row runs the common California temporary-support guideline on monthly take-home pay. When half of the lower income is as large as 40% of the higher one, the guideline gives nothing, which is why the last row is zero even though the incomes differ.
| Higher net income | Lower net income | 40% of higher | 50% of lower | Guideline support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| $7,500 | $3,200 | $3,000 | $1,600 | $1,400 |
| $9,000 | $6,000 | $3,600 | $3,000 | $600 |
| $12,000 | $0 | $4,800 | $0 | $4,800 |
| $6,000 | $5,000 | $2,400 | $2,500 | $0 |
Computed by this page's calculator from the Judicial Council of California, California Courts Self-Help Guide: Spousal support (temporary support page, read 2026-10-21). A county court can use a different local guideline or computer program, and the judge can set another amount.
Where the judge starts on how long long-term support lasts
The goal of long-term support in California is a reasonable period for the supported spouse to become self-supporting. The courts' guide gives the judge one starting assumption for shorter marriages and none for longer ones; the judge then weighs the section 4320 factors, so the final term can be shorter, longer or open-ended.
| Marriage length | Group | Starting point for the term |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | Under ten years | 18 months |
| 6 years | Under ten years | 36 months |
| 9 years | Under ten years | 54 months |
| 12 years | Ten years or longer | No presumed end |
| 25 years | Ten years or longer | No presumed end |
From the Judicial Council of California, California Courts Self-Help Guide: Spousal support (long-term support page, read 2026-10-21). Support also ends on a written agreement the court approves, a court order, the supported spouse's remarriage, or either spouse's death.
What a California judge weighs for long-term support
Family Code section 4320 lists what the court must consider before it sets the amount and length of support at the end of the case. Judicial Council form FL-157 lets a spouse address each factor, and the judge can record the findings on form FL-349.
| Factor | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Length of the marriage | Sets the duration starting point and how much weight self-support gets |
| Earning capacity | Each spouse's skills and education, the job market for them, and the time and cost of retraining |
| Marital standard of living | Housing, cars, travel and spending habits during the marriage |
| Need and ability to pay | What the supported spouse needs to keep close to that standard and whether the other spouse can afford it |
| Age and health | Each spouse's age and physical and emotional health |
| Property and debts | Separate and community assets and obligations each spouse leaves with |
| Contributions to the other's career | Help one spouse gave the other in getting an education, training, a license or a career |
| Children | How caring for children affected either career, and how work now would affect the children |
| Taxes and abuse history | The tax effect of support, and any documented domestic violence in the marriage |
Factor list as summarized by the Judicial Council of California, California Courts Self-Help Guide: Spousal support (read 2026-10-21); the statute itself is California Family Code section 4320.
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StateCalc Team
Editorial Team
The StateCalc team builds free financial calculators using data from official government sources including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, and state revenue departments. All formulas are validated by an automated test suite and cross-referenced against published data.
Our editorial standardsFrequently Asked Questions
How is spousal support calculated in California?
It depends on the kind. Temporary support while the case is pending usually starts from a guideline; the common one is 40% of the higher net monthly income minus 50% of the lower, so $7,500 and $3,200 of take-home pay give $1,400 a month. Some courts use a different guideline. Long-term support in the judgment has no formula: the judge weighs the Family Code section 4320 factors.
How long does alimony last in California?
For a marriage under 10 years the judge starts from support lasting half the marriage, so 8 years points to 48 months. For a longer marriage there is no presumed length, and support can continue while one spouse needs it and the other can pay. It ends earlier on remarriage of the supported spouse, either spouse's death, or a court order or approved agreement.
Can temporary spousal support be changed?
Yes. If either spouse's income or expenses change, for example a job loss, either spouse can ask the judge to change or end it. Ask promptly: a change can reach back only to the date the request was filed.
Do taxes change the California numbers?
The guideline already works on take-home pay, which is why the calculator asks for net income. On the federal side, IRS Topic 452 treats support paid under a divorce or separation agreement signed after 2018 as neither deductible for the payer nor income for the recipient; an older agreement keeps the earlier treatment unless it is modified to adopt the new rule. The judge also weighs tax effects among the section 4320 factors for long-term support.
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