Virginia Spousal Support Calculator
Virginia uses a formula for temporary support during the divorce (pendente lite) and judicial discretion for permanent support. This tool runs both estimates side by side — a first in plain English.
How Virginia spousal support works
Virginia calls it spousal support, not alimony — but the concept is the same: one spouse pays the other to reduce financial hardship after the marriage ends. What makes Virginia unusual is that it uses two completely different approaches depending on when in the process you are.
During the divorce itself, courts apply a presumptive formula under Va. Code § 16.1-278.17:1 for pendente lite (temporary) support. Without minor children, the formula is 27% of the payor's gross monthly income minus 50% of the payee's gross monthly income. With minor children, those percentages shift to 26% and 58%. The formula applies only when combined monthly gross income is $10,000 or less — cases above that threshold are handled entirely by judicial discretion.
Once the divorce is final, Virginia has no formula at all. A judge weighs 13 statutory factors and decides both the amount and the duration. In practice, the income gap between spouses and the length of the marriage are the two strongest predictors — but they're not the only ones.
Virginia's 13 spousal support factors
Under Va. Code § 20-107.1, courts consider all of the following when setting permanent spousal support:
No single factor controls the outcome. Courts weigh them together. In long marriages where one spouse left the workforce to raise children, factors 6, 9, 11, and 12 tend to carry significant weight.
The adultery rule in Virginia
This rule can dramatically change the outcome. If you believe fault is a factor in your case — on either side — that conversation belongs with a Virginia family law attorney as early as possible.
How long does Virginia spousal support last?
Virginia sets no statutory limit on how long spousal support can run. Courts determine duration case by case. In shorter marriages (under 10 years), awards are typically limited in duration — often ranging from a year or two up to roughly half the marriage length. In marriages of 10–20 years, courts may consider support lasting several years to a decade. Marriages of 20 years or more may result in extended or long-term support, particularly when one spouse's career was substantially interrupted by the marriage.
Support ends automatically if the receiving spouse remarries or either party dies. Cohabitation with a new partner may be grounds for modification or termination, but that requires a court motion — it doesn't happen automatically.
Read more in our full guide: How is Spousal Support Calculated in Virginia?
Virginia divorce finances overview
Spousal support is one piece of the financial picture in a Virginia divorce. Virginia is an equitable distribution state — marital property is divided in a way the court considers fair, which isn't automatically 50/50. For a broader view of how property division, retirement accounts, and child support work in Virginia, see our Virginia Divorce Finances guide.