Arizona Alimony & Spousal Support (2026)
Arizona is one of the few states with an actual guideline formula for alimony amount, under A.R.S. § 25-319. It's still advisory in most cases — a judge can deviate from it — but it gives a real, citable starting point instead of pure guesswork.
The guideline formula
Arizona was one of the last states to adopt formal spousal maintenance guidelines, effective July 10, 2023 (updated 2025). Unlike Illinois, New York, or Massachusetts, Arizona's guideline is expressed as a presumptive RANGE rather than one fixed percentage: general practice guidance describes maintenance amount as roughly 15-25% of the difference between the spouses' gross monthly incomes, with the percentage tending to rise with a longer marriage. This is deliberately a range, not a single number — the official Arizona Supreme Court guideline document sets the exact bands and their official calculator applies them precisely.
Duration is likewise expressed as a range of years tied to the length of the marriage, rather than one fixed percentage.
For an exact figure using your own numbers, use the official Arizona calculator/guideline tool.
What determines alimony in Arizona
Under A.R.S. § 25-319 (Arizona Revised Statutes § 25-319 and the Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines), a court considers:
- Standard of living established during the marriage
- Duration of the marriage
- Age, employment history, earning ability, and physical/emotional condition of the spouse seeking maintenance
- Ability of the spouse seeking maintenance to be self-sufficient
- Payor's ability to meet their own needs while paying maintenance
- Comparative financial resources of the parties, including earning abilities
- Contributions to the earning ability of the other spouse
- Excessive or abnormal spending, destruction, or concealment of property
- Cost of health insurance for both spouses
- Damage to the other spouse's marketable career from taking care of children
Good to know
- Because Arizona's guideline produces a RANGE rather than one exact figure, and because SupportSum could not independently verify the exact percentage bands against the official Arizona Supreme Court guideline document (it returned an access error when checked), we deliberately do not publish a specific number here. Use the official Arizona Courts calculator linked above for an actual guideline range — it applies the real bands directly.
- The guideline produces a presumptive range that either spouse can rebut with evidence supporting a different amount or duration.
Also need a child support estimate?
Alimony and child support are calculated completely separately in Arizona. If you also have children, use our free Arizona child support calculator — that one does compute a real number, based on the official guideline formula.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona have a spousal maintenance formula?
Yes — Arizona adopted official Spousal Maintenance Guidelines in 2023 (updated 2025), a more recent and more formal system than most states. Unlike some other formula states, Arizona's guideline produces a presumptive range rather than one fixed percentage.
Where can I get an exact Arizona spousal maintenance estimate?
Arizona's own Supreme Court publishes an official spousal maintenance calculator that applies the real guideline bands to your numbers. We link to it directly rather than reproducing an unverified percentage here, since Arizona's guideline is a range rather than a single fixed formula like a few other states use.
Is Arizona's guideline the same as a fixed formula?
Not exactly. States like Illinois or New York use one specific percentage. Arizona's 2023 guidelines produce a presumptive range for both amount and duration, based on the income difference and marriage length, that either spouse can ask the court to depart from.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 25-319 and the Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines · Last verified 2026-07-22
Disclaimer: This page explains the general legal framework for alimony in Arizona and is for informational purposes only — it is not legal advice and does not predict the outcome of any specific case. Laws change; always verify with the official source above or a family law attorney licensed in Arizona before making decisions.