Massachusetts Alimony Calculator

General term alimony is the most common — periodic support for a financially dependent spouse. Rehabilitative alimony supports a spouse while they retrain or re-enter the workforce (max 5 years). Reimbursement alimony compensates a spouse who supported the other through education or training. Transitional alimony helps a spouse adjust to a different lifestyle or location (max 3 years for marriages under 5 years).

General term alimony duration is capped by statute based on marriage length: under 5 years → 50% of marriage length; 5–10 years → 60%; 10–15 years → 70%; 15–20 years → 80%. For marriages of 20 or more years, there is no statutory cap — courts may award alimony for an indefinite period.

There is no statutory formula, but a common benchmark used by attorneys and courts is 30–35% of the difference in the spouses' gross incomes. The actual amount is set by the judge based on the recipient's need and the payor's ability to pay.

The Alimony Reform Act created a presumption that general term alimony terminates when the payor reaches full Social Security retirement age. A recipient can rebut this presumption by showing continued need, but the burden shifts to them.

Yes. The reform act included specific transition provisions allowing modification of pre-reform orders based on the new durational limits. Courts have addressed many of these over the past decade — consult a Massachusetts family law attorney for your specific order.