California Spousal Support Calculator 2026
Estimate California guideline alimony in under a minute
Estimate temporary spousal support using the guideline formula California family courts, including San Diego, commonly start from while a divorce is pending, and see how long support may last based on the length of your marriage.
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Taxes and deductions (optional)
Taxes and deductions (optional)
Measured from the date of marriage to the date of separation, not to the date the divorce is filed or finalized.
If you share children, guideline child support is calculated first and spousal support comes out of what is left.
Modifying an older support order? (optional)
Income, deductions, and the date of separation are where spousal support cases are won or lost, and long-term support is decided by a judge's weighing of factors, not a formula. Fair Cadora's board-certified family law specialists handle spousal support in San Diego every day.
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Disclaimer: This calculator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Results are estimates of temporary (pendente lite) spousal support based on a widely used California guideline formula (40% of the paying spouse's net income less 50% of the receiving spouse's net income, after child support) with simplified tax assumptions. Local practice varies, judges have discretion to deviate, and long-term spousal support is not calculated by formula. Duration figures reflect general guidance in Family Code sections 4320 and 4336 and are not predictions. Use of this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship with Fair Cadora, APC. Consult a qualified San Diego family law attorney about your specific circumstances.
How temporary spousal support is calculated in California
California has two very different kinds of spousal support, and only one of them has a formula. Temporary support (sometimes called pendente lite support) is ordered while the divorce is pending. To set it quickly, most California family courts, including San Diego, start from the same guideline formula:
While a divorce is pending, most California family courts, including San Diego, start from this guideline to set temporary spousal support (alimony). Here is what each piece means.
Temporary support = 40% of the higher earner’s net − 50% of the lower earner’s net
The paying spouse's monthly income after taxes and allowed deductions such as health insurance, mandatory retirement, and union dues. Any child support is subtracted first.
The starting portion of the higher earner's net income treated as available for the other spouse's support.
The receiving spouse's own monthly net income. Enter zero if they are not working. Child support received does not count as their income.
Half of what the lower earner already brings in is subtracted, so support shrinks as their own income grows. If the result is below zero, the guideline is $0.
Both spouses file single. Net incomes are estimated after 2026 federal and California taxes. Because child support is calculated first, the same incomes produce about $600 less spousal support when there are children.
Sources: California Courts Self-Help Guide and California Family Code § 4320. Figures are estimates for illustration. Try your own numbers in the calculator above.
Net means monthly income after taxes and certain allowed deductions such as health insurance premiums, mandatory retirement contributions, union dues, and support paid in other cases. If you share children, guideline child support is calculated first, and the spousal support formula is applied to the income that is not already going to child support. Our guide on how child custody affects spousal support walks through that interaction in more detail.
Because the whole calculation runs on the income and deductions each spouse reports, complete and accurate financial disclosure matters from day one. Lauren covers what judges and opposing counsel look for in Episode 26 on being a credible divorce client.
Here is how that plays out. Suppose one spouse earns $12,000 a month and the other earns $3,000, both filing single. After estimated taxes, that is roughly $8,200 and $2,500 in net income. Forty percent of $8,200 is about $3,290, fifty percent of $2,500 is about $1,260, and the difference, roughly $2,030 a month, is the starting point for temporary support. Add $1,500 a month in child support and the spousal support figure drops to about $1,430, because the formula runs on what remains after the children are provided for.
Judges are not bound by the formula for temporary support. They can adjust the number based on the supported spouse’s actual needs and the paying spouse’s ability to pay, which matters most in higher-income households where the formula can produce more than the marital lifestyle required.
Certain types of support can be calculated using a calculator, other types cannot be.
Lauren Fair
Certified Family Law Specialist · The Sensible Split, Episode 13
Listen to Episode 13
Temporary support and long-term support are not the same
Once a judgment is entered, the formula no longer applies. Long-term support (often called permanent support, even though it rarely lasts forever) is set by a judge weighing the factors in Family Code section 4320. California appellate courts have held that the temporary support formula cannot simply be carried over to set long-term support, and the long-term amount is often lower than the temporary one. The factors include:
- The marital standard of living and whether each spouse can maintain it
- Each spouse’s earning capacity, marketable skills, and the job market for those skills
- Time the supported spouse spent out of the workforce raising children or running the household
- Contributions the supported spouse made to the other spouse’s education, training, or career
- The paying spouse’s ability to pay, including earned income, assets, and standard of living
- The needs of each spouse, their assets and debts, and the length of the marriage
- Age and health of both spouses, and any documented history of domestic violence
- Tax consequences, the balance of hardships, and the goal that the supported spouse become self-supporting within a reasonable period of time
Several of these factors, including the marital standard of living and each spouse’s assets and debts, turn on how a couple handled money during the marriage. Lauren unpacks that dynamic in Episode 31 on “my money vs. our money” conflicts. Retirement accounts divided in the property settlement also affect each spouse’s long-term ability to self-support, which is why the details in Episode 34 on dividing retirement accounts and QDROs matter for support too.
Because these factors call for judgment rather than arithmetic, the same facts can lead to different outcomes in front of different judges. Career gaps are a frequent issue for military families in San Diego, and our article on options for military spouses who paused their careers covers how courts view them. That uncertainty is exactly why most long-term support is negotiated into a marital settlement agreement rather than decided at trial.
If you’re in a situation where there are a lot of different factors that are considered, and maybe even two different judges would come to two different resolutions of this particular issue, then we’ve got to think a little bit outside the box.
Lauren Fair
Certified Family Law Specialist · The Sensible Split, Episode 13
Listen to Episode 13
How long spousal support lasts
Duration depends first on the length of the marriage, measured from the wedding to the date of separation. The date of separation is a legal question under Family Code section 70 (the point at which there was a complete and final break in the marriage), and it is not necessarily the day someone moved out or the day papers were filed.
Marriages under 10 years
Family Code section 4320(l) says a reasonable period of support is generally one-half the length of the marriage. A marriage of 7 years to separation often points to about 3.5 years of support. It is a guideline, and a judge can order a shorter or longer period based on the other factors.
Marriages of 10 years or more
Under Family Code section 4336, a marriage of 10 years or more is presumed to be of long duration. The court keeps jurisdiction over support indefinitely unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing. That does not mean support is permanent in practice. The court can warn the supported spouse that they are expected to make reasonable efforts toward self-support (Family Code section 4330(b)), and support can be reduced or ended later as circumstances change. If you are close to the 10-year mark, the date of separation can carry real financial weight, so get advice before agreeing to one.
When support ends
Unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing, support ends when either spouse dies or the supported spouse remarries (Family Code section 4337). Living with a new partner creates a presumption of decreased need under Family Code section 4323, which can support a request to modify support.
The 2026 tax change most calculators miss
Taxes change the guideline number because the formula runs on net income. Federal law stopped treating alimony as deductible for the payer or taxable to the recipient for agreements made after 2018, but California kept the old treatment until recently. Senate Bill 711 brought California in line with federal law for divorce and separation agreements executed after December 31, 2025.
For anyone negotiating support today, that means support is neither deductible nor taxable on either return. Orders made in earlier years keep their original treatment unless a later modification expressly adopts the new rules. Because that choice shifts taxes between the spouses, it is worth running both versions before modifying an older order. The calculator above lets you pick the year of an existing order to see the difference.
Know your number before you negotiate
Most spousal support is never decided by a judge. It is negotiated in mediation, in settlement conversations, or between attorneys, and the temporary guideline figure is often where those conversations begin.
About 95%-ish of family law cases settle. It’s just a question of where in the process that they settle.
Lauren Fair
Certified Family Law Specialist · The Sensible Split, Episode 17
Listen to Episode 17
Knowing the guideline number helps you evaluate an offer, but the amount is only part of a support agreement. How long it lasts, what ends it early, and whether it can be changed later can be worth as much as the monthly figure. If support will be negotiated in mediation, Episode 6 on four mediation mistakes to avoid explains how to walk in with a settlement strategy, and Episode 5 on divorce process options compares mediation, attorney-led negotiation, collaborative practice, and litigation.
Spousal support oftentimes is modifiable, because look, things change, right?
Lauren Fair
Certified Family Law Specialist · The Sensible Split, Episode 13
Listen to Episode 13
Some couples agree to make support non-modifiable in exchange for certainty on both sides. That can be a smart trade or a costly one depending on each spouse’s job security, health, and plans, which is why it is a decision to make with an attorney rather than a calculator.
Fair Cadora’s San Diego spousal support attorneys, led by certified family law specialist Lauren Fair, help clients run the numbers, weigh the duration and modification terms, and negotiate support that holds up. If you are budgeting for the process itself, our breakdown of what a divorce lawyer costs in California is a good next read. The lower-earning spouse may also be able to ask the court to order the other spouse to contribute to attorney fees, one of the options Lauren covers in Episode 33 on 10 ways to pay for divorce, and Episode 30 shares practical ways to keep legal fees down. When you are ready, request a case evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
How is temporary spousal support calculated in California?
Most California family courts, including San Diego, start from a guideline formula for temporary support while a divorce is pending: 40% of the higher earner’s net monthly income minus 50% of the lower earner’s net monthly income. If there are children, guideline child support is calculated first and the formula is applied to the income that remains. Judges can adjust the result based on the supported spouse’s actual needs and the paying spouse’s ability to pay.
Is there a formula for long-term spousal support?
No. Once a judgment is entered, a judge sets long-term support by weighing the factors in Family Code section 4320, including the marital standard of living, each spouse’s earning capacity, the length of the marriage, contributions to the other spouse’s career, age and health, and the goal that the supported spouse become self-supporting. California courts have held that the temporary support formula cannot simply be used to set long-term support, and the long-term amount is often lower.
How long does spousal support last in California?
For marriages under 10 years, the general guideline in Family Code section 4320 is support for about half the length of the marriage, measured from the wedding to the date of separation. Marriages of 10 years or more are presumed to be of long duration under Family Code section 4336, which means the court keeps jurisdiction and there is often no set end date. Unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing, support ends if either spouse dies or the supported spouse remarries.
Is spousal support taxable in California in 2026?
For agreements and orders made after 2025, no. Federal law stopped treating alimony as deductible or taxable for instruments made after 2018, and California’s SB 711 adopted the same rule for divorce and separation agreements executed after December 31, 2025. Orders made in earlier years keep their original treatment unless a later modification expressly adopts the new rules, which is worth reviewing with an attorney before modifying an existing order.
Does child support affect spousal support?
Yes. When spouses share children, guideline child support is calculated first, and temporary spousal support is then calculated on the income that is not allocated to child support. That usually means a lower spousal support figure than the same incomes would produce without children.
Can spousal support be modified in California?
Usually. Either spouse can ask the court to modify spousal support after a material change in circumstances, such as a job loss, a significant raise, retirement, or the supported spouse becoming self-supporting. Learn more about post-judgment modifications. Spouses can also agree in writing that support is non-modifiable, which trades flexibility for certainty and is a decision to make carefully with an attorney.
Is this calculator specific to San Diego?
The 40/50 guideline is used widely across California, and San Diego family courts commonly start from it for temporary support, so the estimate is a realistic starting point for a San Diego case. What varies locally is practice: how individual judges treat high-income cases, how they handle deviations, and how they approach long-term support under the section 4320 factors. The San Diego Superior Court’s Family Law Facilitator offers free help with forms for people without a lawyer. For strategy, that local knowledge is where an experienced San Diego spousal support attorney adds the most value.