Calculator · Estimate · New York
New York maintenance calculator
New York sets maintenance by formula: 30% of payer’s income − 20% of recipient’s (20%/25% with child support), capped at 40% of combined. Enter your numbers to apply it step by step, with the citation for each step.[1]
Key facts: maintenance in New York
| How the law sets it | Formula: we calculate[1] |
|---|---|
| The formula | 30% of payer’s income − 20% of recipient’s (20%/25% with child support), capped at 40% of combined[1] |
| Law last checked | October 26, 2026 |
How New York’s formula works, step by step
Temporary and post-divorce maintenance guidelines under Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B). Each step shows the arithmetic on your numbers and the source it comes from.
To see the steps, enter your income and your spouse’s income.
From the official text
What New York law says about maintenance
Plain-English summaries of New York’s statute and court rules as of the date shown on each, with the quoted text. Not legal advice: laws change and courts apply them case by case.
Formula
20% payer − 25% recipient (with child support)
When the payer will also pay child support for the marriage’s children, start with 20% of the payer’s income minus 25% of the recipient’s.[1]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court shall subtract twenty-five percent of the payee's income from twenty percent of the payor's income.”
Formula
30% payer − 20% recipient (no child support)
When no child support is paid, or the payer is the custodial parent, start with 30% of the payer’s income minus 20% of the recipient’s.[1]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court shall subtract twenty percent of the payee's income from thirty percent of the payor's income.”
Amount cap
Lower of that or 40% of combined − recipient
The guideline is the lower of that figure and 40% of combined income minus the recipient’s income; zero or less means $0.[1]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court shall then multiply the sum of the payor's income and the payee's income by forty percent.”
When it applies
Income cap (base $184,000)
The formula applies to the payer’s income up to an income cap of $184,000, raised every two years since March 1, 2020 and published by the Office of Court Administration; above it, more is up to the court.[1]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“"Income cap" shall mean up to and including one hundred eighty-four thousand dollars of the payor's annual income; provided, however, beginning March first, two thousand twenty and every two years thereafter, the income cap amount shall increase”
How long it lasts
15%–50% of the marriage (advisory)
Advisory duration: 15–30% of the marriage’s length up to 15 years, 30–40% for 15 to 20 years, 35–50% over 20 years.[1]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“The court may determine the duration of post-divorce maintenance in accordance with the following advisory schedule:”
When it applies
Self-support reserve: 135% of HHS poverty guideline
The payer is never left below the self-support reserve, 135% of the federal poverty guideline for one person ($15,960 × 1.35 = $21,546 for 2026, from HHS’s 2026 guidelines).[2]
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)(b)(6) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“"Self-support reserve" shall mean one hundred thirty-five percent of the poverty income guidelines amount for a single person as reported by the federal department of health and human services.”
Divorce in New York: waiting period, residency and property rules →
Questions about alimony in New York
Is there an alimony calculator for New York?
Yes. New York sets a guideline by formula (Temporary and post-divorce maintenance guidelines under Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)), and the calculator above applies it step by step. It's an estimate: courts decide and can depart from the guideline. — N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6)[1]
How long does alimony last in New York?
Advisory duration: 15–30% of the marriage’s length up to 15 years, 30–40% for 15 to 20 years, 35–50% over 20 years. — N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6)[1]
Is there a limit on alimony in New York?
The guideline is the lower of that figure and 40% of combined income minus the recipient’s income; zero or less means $0. — N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6)[1]
States with an alimony formula
Not legal advice. MediationList is a directory of court-listed mediators, not a law firm, and doesn’t endorse any mediator. Estimates follow the official formula as published; courts decide, and can depart from it.
Sources
New York’s statute and court rules, read on the official site, with the date we checked each.
- N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 236(B)(6) (New York State Senate, Open Legislation) (current text read Oct. 26, 2026; uses the statute’s $184,000 base income cap)↩
- N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)(b)(6) (New York State Senate, Open Legislation)↩