A Short Guide to Pennsylvania Alimony Calculators
What is a Pennsylvania alimony calculator?
Pennsylvania alimony calculators estimate the amount of money a spousal support order will be. Pennsylvania alimony calculators are actually some of the most accurate in the country, since Pennsylvania relies on a strict mathematical formula to create alimony orders. A judge is still at liberty to deviate from the estimate of a Pennsylvania alimony calculator, but such instances are rare, making alimony calculators a crucial tool in Pennsylvania. Use one here: alimonyformula.com.
How does an alimony calculator in Pennsylvania work?
Pennsylvania Code title 1910 § 16-4 lays out the formula which a Pennsylvania alimony calculator works by. Understand the formula, and you can better understand your alimony estimate and whether or not it is fair. Just follow along with the steps:
1. Find the difference between the two spouses’ Net Income, less any spousal support payments. Intelligent lawyers may be able to also deduct health insurance payments, medical expenses, and even mortgage payments, but be careful. Mistakes might constitute fraud and result in a much more damaging support order than if you would have just properly used the alimony calculator for Pennsylvania.
2. Multiply the difference you found in Step #1 by 0.40. This is the annual alimony order.
3. To get the monthly alimony order, just divide by 12.
If you’d like to see the formula in action, consider two spouses.
One works as a doctor and earns $210,000 a year.
The other is a teacher and receives $30,000.
The difference between the two incomes is $180,000. Multiply by 0.40 and you get $72,000, or $6,000 a month.
What other factors should a Pennsylvania alimony calculator consider?
Don’t forget that a judge always has the right to change your Pennsylvania alimony calculator estimate as they see fit. The legislature for the state has ordered all judges to consider the following factors in crafting a spousal support order, and you should also meditate on whether they affect your case:
• The ages of both spouses.
• The physical, mental and emotional condition of both spouses, especially as this relates to the ability to find appropriate employment.
• The sources of income of both parties, such as employment, retirement benefits, insurance, or property.
• The expected inheritances and other income gains of both spouses.
• The length of the marriage, which longer marriages resulting in greater spousal support awards.
• Whether one spouse increased the other’s employment opportunities by supporting them in their education.
• Whether one spouse increased the other’s employment opportunities by acting as the primary caregiver to a shared minor child.
• How great the standard of living the spouses established during the marriage was.
• The educations previously obtained by both spouses, and whether additional education is needed to competitively enter the job market.
• The relative assets and property of both parties.
• Whether one spouse made significant marital contributions as a homemaker.
• The marital misconduct performed by either spouse.
• The tax benefits of an alimony award.
• Whether appropriate employment is not feasible for either spouse.
