Alimony · Pennsylvania · Formula: official calculator
Alimony in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania sets spousal support and alimony pendente lite (support while the case is pending) with the statewide support guideline formula in Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-4; alimony after the divorce is decided from 17 statutory factors.[1]
Key facts: alimony / spousal support in Pennsylvania
| How the law sets it | Formula: official calculator[1] |
|---|---|
| Key rule | Statewide support guideline formula (spousal support and support while the case is pending)[1] |
| Official tool | Pennsylvania Child Support Program (DHS), "Estimate My Child Support Amount" |
| Law last checked | October 26, 2026 |
The rule
Statewide support guideline formula (spousal support and support while the case is pending)[1]
Open the official calculator ↗ Pennsylvania Child Support Program (DHS), "Estimate My Child Support Amount"
We build a calculator only when we can read the official formula in full and reproduce it exactly. Pennsylvania's current guideline text sits on a site that doesn't allow automated reading, so use the official calculator.
From the official text
What Pennsylvania law says about alimony / spousal support
Plain-English summaries of Pennsylvania’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.
The statute
23 Pa.C.S. § 3701
The main alimony / spousal support statute: the court weighs 17 listed factors.[1]
23 Pa.C.S. § 3701 · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“Where a divorce decree has been entered, the court may allow alimony, as it deems reasonable, to either party only if it finds that alimony is necessary.”
Formula
Statewide support guideline formula (spousal support and support while the case is pending)
Pennsylvania’s support guideline rule, Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-4, sets one formula for child support, spousal support and alimony pendente lite (support while the divorce is pending). We read it only in a 2018 rulemaking notice; the current text is on a site that blocks automated reading.[2]
Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-4(a), as printed in the Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee's 2018 notice · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“The following formula shall be used to calculate the obligor's share of basic child support, either from the schedule in Rule 1910.16-3 or the formula in Rule 1910.16-3.1(a), as well as spousal support and alimony pendente lite obligations.”
What the court weighs
17 factors
The court considers all relevant factors, including 17 the statute lists, such as earnings, the length of the marriage and the standard of living.[1]
23 Pa.C.S. § 3701 · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“In determining whether alimony is necessary and in determining the nature, amount, duration and manner of payment of alimony, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including:”
Divorce in Pennsylvania: waiting period, residency and property rules →
Questions about alimony in Pennsylvania
Is there an alimony calculator for Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania uses an official guideline formula. We couldn't read its current text from the official site, so we link the official calculator instead of estimating. — 23 Pa.C.S. § 3701[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. Summaries follow the official text as of the date checked; courts apply it case by case.
Sources
Pennsylvania’s statute and court rules, read on the official site, with the date we checked each.