Virginia Alimony & Spousal Support (2026)
Unlike child support, Virginia 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 Va. Code § 20-107.1. 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 Virginia
Under Va. Code § 20-107.1 (Code of Virginia § 20-107.1 (Court May Decree As to Maintenance and Support of Spouses)), a court considers:
- Obligations, needs, and financial resources of the parties, including income from all pension, profit-sharing, or retirement plans
- Standard of living established during the marriage
- Duration of the marriage
- Age and physical and mental condition of the parties, and any special circumstances of the family
- Extent to which age, condition, or circumstances make it appropriate for a party to be the custodian of a minor child and not seek outside employment
- Contributions, monetary and nonmonetary, of each party to the well-being of the family
- Property interests of the parties, both real and personal, tangible and intangible
- How marital property was divided under Va. Code § 20-107.3
- Earning capacity, including the skills, education, and training of the parties, and the presence of any physical or mental condition affecting earning capacity
- Opportunity for, and ability to acquire, the education and training needed to increase earning capacity
- Decisions the parties made during the marriage regarding employment, career, economics, education, and parenting, and how those decisions affected present and future earning potential
- Extent to which either party contributed to the other's education, training, career position, or profession
- Tax consequences to each party, and, where appropriate, the circumstances contributing to the dissolution of the marriage, including any fault grounds for divorce
Good to know
- This page covers only final (permanent or long-term) spousal support decided at the end of a Virginia divorce case under Va. Code § 20-107.1(E), which is entirely discretionary — the court weighs the factors above, and there is no formula or schedule for the dollar amount.
- Virginia has a separate, formula-based calculation for temporary (pendente lite) spousal support paid while a divorce is pending, under Va. Code § 20-103. That guideline formula is not covered on this page, since it applies only during the case, not to the final award.
- Virginia law also allows a court to bar spousal support entirely where a spouse committed adultery, unless denying support would be a manifest injustice — another factor a court can weigh under § 20-107.1.
Also need a child support estimate?
Alimony and child support are calculated completely separately in Virginia. If you also have children, use our free Virginia 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 Virginia?
For final spousal support, no. Va. Code § 20-107.1 lists 13 factors for the court to weigh, with no formula or fixed schedule for the dollar amount. (Virginia does use a separate guideline formula, under Va. Code § 20-103, for temporary support paid only while the divorce is pending — that formula does not apply to the final award.)
What factors determine alimony in Virginia?
Virginia courts weigh each spouse's financial needs and resources, the standard of living during the marriage, its duration, age and health, contributions to the family, property interests and how property was divided, earning capacity and opportunities for education or training, career decisions made during the marriage, and tax consequences — plus, in some cases, fault grounds like adultery — under Va. Code § 20-107.1.
Source: Code of Virginia § 20-107.1 (Court May Decree As to Maintenance and Support of Spouses) · Last verified 2026-07-22
Disclaimer: This page explains the general legal framework for alimony in Virginia 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 Virginia before making decisions.