How much alimony / spousal support can you anticipate having to pay after a divorce? In Michigan, there is no set percentage or given amount, but there are software programs that can be used to estimate the amount, given a specific scenario.

Calculating Alimony in Michigan

 

There is no formula for calculating spousal support in Michigan. Spousal support is decided entirely by the court after evaluating 12 factors. These include each spouse’s age, health, needs, and earning capacity; each party’s conduct and contributions during the marriage; how the marital property was divided; and more.

Let’s look at the following scenario. A husband and wife are married for 25 years. The husband earns $80,000 annual gross income (before taxes) and his wife has never worked. The wife has taken some college courses and she is 50 years old. They have two children together, both of whom are adults, so there is no child support obligation. They are planning on an equal division of their assets and there is no significant debt to be concerned with.

Spousal support is calculated using twelve different factors under Michigan alimony laws. But in this example, let’s look at a Michigan alimony calculator software program that can estimate spousal support for you given the facts of your case.

Given this scenario for a divorce, spousal support could be $2,300 per month. This is calculated using zero for wife’s income and $80,000 annual income for the husband. This amount is paid from pretax dollars, and is therefore tax deductible to the husband, and wife must claim it as income.

If we change wife’s income and use potential income for wife at minimum wage—or a $17,000 annual gross income—then spousal support is $1,700 per month.

How Long Will I Have to Pay Alimony in Michigan?

How long you would pay this spousal support is debatable under Michigan alimony laws, but a rule of thumb is one third of the marriage, so in this case about 8 years. This can vary and is based on other factors, but this will give you a general idea of how spousal support works in Michigan.