California Spousal Support Calculator
Estimate temporary and long-term spousal support under Family Code § 4320, the 10-year long-duration rule and SB 711 tax treatment

California treats temporary and long-term support differently. While a case is pending, many courts use a local guideline formula, often run through software such as DissoMaster or XSpouse. For long-term support set in the judgment, there is no statewide formula: the court must consider all of the circumstances listed in Family Code § 4320(a) through (n) and may order support in an amount and for a period that is just and reasonable.

A commonly used guideline is 40% of the paying spouse's net monthly income minus 50% of the receiving spouse's net monthly income, calculated on net income not allocated to child support (for example, Santa Clara County Family Rule 3(C)). California has no single statewide temporary formula, counties differ, and a judge can depart from the result. A temporary figure should not be treated as the long-term amount, which needs the full § 4320 analysis.

Section 4320 lists them: the earning capacity of each party in light of the marital standard of living (including marketable skills and career interruptions for domestic duties); the supported party's contribution to the other's education, training, career or license; the paying party's ability to pay; each party's needs based on the marital standard of living; obligations and assets, including separate property; the duration of the marriage; the ability to work without unduly interfering with the interests of dependent children; age and health; documented domestic violence; tax consequences; the balance of hardships; the goal of self-support within a reasonable period; the criminal conviction of an abusive spouse; and any other just and equitable factors.

Section 4320(l) sets the goal that the supported party becomes self-supporting within a reasonable period of time. Except for a marriage of long duration, a reasonable period generally is one-half the length of the marriage, although the court may order a longer or shorter period based on the other factors. Under § 4336, a marriage of 10 years or more, measured from the date of marriage to the date of separation, is presumed to be a marriage of long duration, and the court retains jurisdiction over support indefinitely. That is not a promise of support for life: the supported spouse still has a duty to work toward self-support and either party can seek modification. A marriage of less than 10 years can also be found to be of long duration.

Unless the parties agreed otherwise in writing, the obligation to pay support ends on the death of either party or the remarriage of the supported party (Fam. Code § 4337). Cohabitation does not automatically end support. Instead, § 4323 creates a rebuttable presumption of decreased need when the supported party cohabits with a nonmarital partner.

Yes, in several ways. Section 4320(i) makes documented evidence of any history of domestic violence between the parties, or by either party against a child, a factor, and § 4320(m) requires the court to consider an abusive spouse's criminal conviction in reducing or eliminating support under §§ 4324.5 or 4325. Under § 4325, a spouse convicted of domestic violence against the other spouse within five years before the petition was filed, or at any time afterward, faces a rebuttable presumption that support to the convicted spouse should not be ordered. Section 4324.5 addresses certain felony convictions of the other spouse.

Yes. Support orders can generally be modified or terminated on a showing of changed circumstances, and a modification may be made retroactive to the date the motion was filed (Fam. Code §§ 3651, 3653). Unless the parties agreed otherwise or the court expressly ordered otherwise, a request is made with a Request for Order (Judicial Council form FL-300) and an Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150). Under § 4330(b), a court may warn the supported party that support may be limited or terminated in the future, often called a Gavron warning after In re Marriage of Gavron (1988) 203 Cal.App.3d 705. Keep paying until a court order changes the obligation.

It depends on when the agreement or judgment was executed. For instruments executed on or before December 31, 2018, support is deductible by the payor and taxable to the recipient on both federal and California returns. For those executed from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2025, support is not deductible or taxable federally, but California did not conform and still treated it as deductible and taxable. Under SB 711 (2025), for instruments executed after December 31, 2025, or older instruments modified after that date to expressly adopt the new rules, support is neither deductible by the payor nor included in the recipient's income for California, matching federal law. Confirm with a tax professional.

You choose a stage. For temporary support, it applies the common 40/50 guideline to the net incomes you enter after subtracting child support. For long-term support, it measures the recipient's monthly need at the marital standard of living (counted expenses minus income) against the payor's ability to pay (income minus expenses and child support) and shows the smaller figure as an illustration. It also shows the one-half-of-the-marriage period or the 10-year long-duration presumption and lists your answers against the § 4320 factors.

It is not DissoMaster or XSpouse, does not apply a county's own rules, and does not predict an award. A judge decides long-term support only after weighing every § 4320 factor.