Tennessee Alimony & Spousal Support (2026)
Unlike child support, Tennessee has no fixed formula for how much alimony (spousal support) costs or how long it lasts. A judge decides both based on a list of factors set out in Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121. There is no calculator that can honestly give you an exact number here — but the factors below are what actually drives the decision.
What determines alimony in Tennessee
Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121 (Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-5-121 (Decree for Support of Spouse)), a court considers:
- Each party's relative earning capacity, obligations, needs, and financial resources, including income from pensions, profit-sharing, or retirement plans and all other sources
- Each party's relative education and training, the ability and opportunity to secure further education and training, and the necessity of further education to improve earning capacity
- Duration of the marriage
- Age and mental condition of each party
- Physical condition of each party, including any physical disability or chronic debilitating disease
- Whether it would be undesirable for a party to seek outside employment because that party will be the custodian of a minor child
- Separate assets of each party, both real and personal, tangible and intangible
- Provisions made with regard to the marital property
- Standard of living established during the marriage
- Tangible and intangible contributions each party made to the marriage, including monetary and homemaker contributions
- Relative fault of the parties, in cases where the court deems it appropriate to consider fault
- Other factors necessary to consider the equities between the parties, including the tax consequences to each party
Good to know
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121(i) lists these 12 factors, but sets no formula, percentage, or fixed schedule for translating them into a dollar amount. Tennessee case law treats the disadvantaged spouse's need and the obligor spouse's ability to pay as the two most important factors, but the final number is still left to the trial court's discretion.
- Tennessee recognizes several distinct alimony types (in futuro, rehabilitative, transitional, and alimony in solido) that affect how long payments last and whether they are modifiable, but none of them come with a statutory amount formula.
Also need a child support estimate?
Alimony and child support are calculated completely separately in Tennessee. If you also have children, use our free Tennessee child support calculator — that one does compute a real number, based on the official guideline formula.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an alimony formula in Tennessee?
No. Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121 lists 12 factors a court must weigh, but does not set a formula, percentage, or fixed schedule for the amount. Courts weigh the disadvantaged spouse's need and the paying spouse's ability to pay most heavily, then decide the amount and duration case-by-case.
What factors determine alimony in Tennessee?
Tennessee courts consider each party's earning capacity, education, and financial resources; the duration of the marriage; age and physical/mental condition; whether a party is caring for a minor child; each party's separate assets; how marital property was divided; the standard of living during the marriage; each party's contributions (including as a homemaker); relative fault; and tax consequences, per Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-121(i).
Source: Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-5-121 (Decree for Support of Spouse) · Last verified 2026-07-22
Disclaimer: This page explains the general legal framework for alimony in Tennessee 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 Tennessee before making decisions.