Colorado law provides guidelines for calculating spousal maintenance (alimony) in divorce cases. The primary goal is to ensure fairness and to help a spouse who may have sacrificed career opportunities during the marriage to become self-supporting. The calculation involves several factors, but the statutory guidelines offer a strong starting point for estimation.
Key Factors and Formulas:
Gross Income: The calculator uses the gross monthly income of both spouses. This includes income from all sources before deductions.
Duration of Marriage: This is a critical factor, as the guideline duration for maintenance is often a percentage of the marriage length.
The Guideline Formula: For marriages lasting 2 to 12 years, the guideline maintenance amount is generally calculated as 40% of the difference between the parties' gross monthly incomes. However, there's a cap. The payor spouse's maintenance obligation cannot exceed 40% of their own gross monthly income.
Formula (for marriages 2-12 years):
Step 1: Calculate the difference in gross monthly income: `(Payor's Gross Monthly Income – Recipient's Gross Monthly Income)`
Step 2: Calculate 40% of the difference: `0.40 * (Difference from Step 1)`
Step 3: Calculate 40% of the payor's gross monthly income: `0.40 * (Payor's Gross Monthly Income)`
Step 4: The guideline maintenance amount is the lesser of Step 2 or Step 3.
Duration of Maintenance: For marriages lasting 2 to 12 years, the guideline duration is generally 40% of the marriage length.
Longer Marriages (12+ years): For marriages lasting longer than 12 years, the courts have more discretion and may order maintenance for an indefinite duration, though specific formulas for calculation can still apply. This calculator focuses on the guideline ranges.
Deviations: It's important to note that courts can deviate from these guidelines based on specific circumstances, such as the needs of the parties, their earning capacities, the standard of living during the marriage, and the contribution of each spouse to the marriage.
How to Use This Calculator:
Enter the gross monthly income for both spouses and the exact duration of your marriage in years. The calculator will provide an estimated monthly alimony payment and the estimated duration based on Colorado's statutory guidelines for marriages up to 12 years.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on statutory guidelines and is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Every divorce case is unique, and actual alimony orders are determined by a judge based on all relevant facts and circumstances. You should consult with a qualified Colorado family law attorney for advice specific to your situation.
function calculateAlimony() {
var payorIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossIncomePayor").value);
var recipientIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossIncomeRecipient").value);
var marriageYears = parseFloat(document.getElementById("marriageDuration").value);
var alimonyAmountElement = document.getElementById("alimonyAmount");
var durationEstimateElement = document.getElementById("durationEstimate");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
// Reset previous results
alimonyAmountElement.textContent = "–";
durationEstimateElement.textContent = "Estimated Duration: –";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Reset color
// Input validation
if (isNaN(payorIncome) || isNaN(recipientIncome) || isNaN(marriageYears) ||
payorIncome < 0 || recipientIncome < 0 || marriageYears = 2 && marriageYears 12) {
// For marriages over 12 years, guidelines are less rigid.
// A common approach is to still use the income difference formula but courts have discretion.
// We'll use the same formula as above for estimation, but acknowledge court discretion.
var incomeDifference = payorIncome – recipientIncome;
var maintenanceBasedOnDifference = 0.40 * incomeDifference;
var maintenanceCap = 0.40 * payorIncome;
monthlyAlimony = Math.max(0, Math.min(maintenanceBasedOnDifference, maintenanceCap));
guidelineDurationYears = marriageYears; // For longer marriages, duration can be longer/indefinite. This is a simplified estimate.
} else {
// Marriages less than 2 years typically do not qualify for guideline maintenance in Colorado
monthlyAlimony = 0;
guidelineDurationYears = 0;
}
// Format the output
if (monthlyAlimony === 0) {
alimonyAmountElement.textContent = "$0.00";
durationEstimateElement.textContent = "Estimated Duration: No guideline maintenance applicable or awarded.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–primary-blue)"; // Different color for no award
} else {
alimonyAmountElement.textContent = "$" + monthlyAlimony.toFixed(2);
if (marriageYears > 12) {
durationEstimateElement.textContent = "Estimated Duration: Variable (Court Discretion for long marriages)";
} else if (guidelineDurationYears > 0) {
durationEstimateElement.textContent = "Estimated Duration: " + guidelineDurationYears.toFixed(1) + " years";
} else {
durationEstimateElement.textContent = "Estimated Duration: Not applicable";
}
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Standard success color
}
}