Last updated: September 2026
Arizona courts do not award spousal maintenance (alimony) automatically. A spouse must first qualify under one of five grounds in A.R.S. § 25-319(A). If eligible, the court sets the amount and duration using the Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines—revised effective September 1, 2025, and in effect for all orders entered today. Marriages of 16+ years can now receive maintenance for up to 12 years or half the length of the marriage, whichever is greater.
Divorce raises difficult financial questions, and spousal maintenance—commonly called alimony—is often one of the most stressful. Many people don’t know whether they’ll receive support, have to pay for it, or for how long.
Arizona uses a two-step process: first, the court decides whether a spouse is eligible, then it applies statewide guidelines to set the amount and duration. This guide explains how that process works in 2026, including the significant changes introduced by the revised Guidelines.
What Is Spousal Maintenance in Arizona?
Spousal maintenance is Arizona’s term for alimony—court-ordered financial support paid by one spouse to the other after divorce or legal separation. Its purpose is generally rehabilitative: to support the receiving spouse only as long as needed to become self-sufficient.
Arizona law directs that maintenance be awarded only for the period of time and in the amount necessary to enable the receiving spouse to become self-sufficient. In most cases, that means temporary support while the receiving spouse gains the education, training, or work experience needed for financial independence—not indefinite lifetime payments.
Who Qualifies for Spousal Maintenance in Arizona?
A spouse qualifies if they meet at least one of five grounds in A.R.S. § 25-319(A): insufficient property for reasonable needs, insufficient earning ability, parental duties that make outside employment inappropriate, significant contributions to the other spouse’s career, or a long marriage combined with an age that limits employment.
Eligibility comes first. No amount of income disparity or marriage length matters unless the requesting spouse meets at least one of these statutory grounds:
- Insufficient property: The spouse lacks enough property, including property awarded in the divorce, to meet reasonable needs.
- Insufficient earning ability: The spouse lacks the earning ability in the labor market to be self-sufficient.
- Parental responsibilities: The spouse is the parent of a child whose age or condition makes outside employment inappropriate.
- Career contributions: The spouse made significant financial or other contributions to the other spouse’s education, training, or career, or significantly reduced their own income or career opportunities for the other spouse’s benefit.
- Long marriage and age: The marriage was of long duration, and the spouse’s age may prevent them from finding employment adequate to be self-sufficient.
Eligibility is highly fact-specific. For example, a spouse who left the workforce for years to raise children and support the other spouse’s career may qualify under the career-contribution ground.
How Is the Amount of Spousal Maintenance Calculated?
Once eligibility is established, judges apply the Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines and the official calculator, which produce a presumptive range for amount and duration. The revised Guidelines took effect September 1, 2025, and govern all maintenance orders entered on or after that date, including modifications.
The Arizona Supreme Court adopted revised Spousal Maintenance Guidelines under Administrative Order 2025-101. Used with the official calculator, the Guidelines produce an amount range and a duration range based on each spouse’s income, family size, and length of marriage. Key changes in the revised Guidelines include:
- Mortgage principal removed: Monthly mortgage principal is no longer entered into the calculation, which generally lowers the resulting ranges.
- Revised high-income adjustment: The adjustment for higher-earning households now begins at $175,000 in combined income (previously $100,000) and is capped at a lower level.
- Longer durations for long marriages: The maximum standard duration for marriages of 16 years or more increased significantly (explained below).
A judge may deviate from the Guidelines only by making written findings that applying them would be inappropriate or unjust. Parties can also agree to terms outside the range.
What Factors Do Arizona Judges Consider?
Beyond the calculator, judges weigh statutory factors including the marital standard of living, length of the marriage, each spouse’s age, health, and earning ability, the paying spouse’s ability to meet their own needs, and the time the receiving spouse needs to become self-sufficient.
The Guidelines rely on data and formulas, but judges still consider the full circumstances of each case to ensure a fair result. Relevant factors include:
- Standard of living: The lifestyle the couple established during the marriage.
- Duration of the marriage: How long the spouses were married.
- Age and health: Each spouse’s age, employment history, earning ability, and physical and emotional condition.
- Ability to pay: Whether the paying spouse can meet their own needs while also supporting the other spouse.
- Financial resources: The requesting spouse’s resources, including property awarded in the divorce.
- Time to become self-sufficient: How long does the requesting spouse need to obtain education or training for appropriate employment?
- Excessive expenditures: Any abnormal spending, destruction, concealment, or fraudulent disposal of community property.
How Long Does Spousal Maintenance Last in Arizona?
Duration is based primarily on the length of the marriage. Under the revised Guidelines, marriages of 16 years or more can receive maintenance for up to 12 years or 50% of the marriage’s length, whichever is greater—up from the previous 8-year cap. The “Rule of 65” allows case-by-case duration in certain long marriages.
The Guidelines tie duration ranges to how long the couple has been married, giving both spouses more predictability. The key rules:
- Shorter marriages: Duration is typically structured around rehabilitation. A spouse who needs two years to complete a vocational program, for example, may receive support designed to end when that training is finished.
- Marriages of 16 years or more: The maximum standard duration is now 12 years or half the length of the marriage, whichever is greater. A 30-year marriage, for instance, could support a duration of up to 15 years.
- The Rule of 65: When the requesting spouse is at least 42, the marriage lasted at least 16 years, and the spouse’s age plus the length of the marriage equals 65 or more, the court may set duration on a case-by-case basis rather than using the standard range.
These are guideline ranges, not guarantees. The specific facts of each case—and whether a judge finds a deviation justified—determine the final order.
Does Infidelity Affect Spousal Maintenance in Arizona?
No. Under A.R.S. § 25-319(C), Arizona courts decide spousal maintenance without regard to marital misconduct. Infidelity does not increase or decrease an award or affect eligibility.
This is one of the most common questions we hear from clients in Surprise, El Mirage, and Sun City. Arizona law is clear: a spouse who was unfaithful doesn’t pay more, and a spouse who was wronged doesn’t automatically receive more. Courts disregard marital misconduct entirely when deciding maintenance.
The one related exception involves money. Excessive or fraudulent spending of community property—including funds spent on an affair—can be considered as a factor in the overall analysis.
Can Spousal Maintenance Be Modified in Arizona?
Yes, in most cases. Under A.R.S. § 25-327, a maintenance order can be modified or terminated when a party shows a substantial and continuing change in circumstances—unless the parties agreed in writing that it would be non-modifiable.
A spousal maintenance order isn’t always permanent. Changes that may justify a modification include:
- The receiving spouse obtains significantly higher-paying employment
- The paying spouse loses their job through no fault of their own
- A significant disability or serious health change affecting either spouse
The revised Guidelines apply to modification orders entered on or after September 1, 2025, so a modification request today may produce different results than the original order.
Importantly, you must file a formal petition with the court to change an order. You cannot simply reduce or stop payments on your own—doing so can result in enforcement actions and arrears.
When Do Spousal Maintenance Payments End?
Unless the spouses agree otherwise in writing, the obligation to pay future spousal maintenance ends automatically upon the death of either spouse or the remarriage of the spouse receiving support.
Beyond the end date set in the order, maintenance automatically terminates when:
- Either spouse dies
- The receiving spouse remarries
Spouses can agree to different termination terms, but that agreement must be put in writing or expressly stated in the decree.
Get Guidance on Spousal Maintenance in the West Valley
Whether you’re seeking support or expect to pay it, the revised Guidelines have changed how spousal maintenance is calculated in Arizona—and the details of your case matter. The Dodds Law Firm, PLC takes an empathetic, solutions-focused approach, working to find practical answers for each client’s circumstances while keeping costs under control.
If you’re in Surprise or the surrounding West Valley and need to discuss spousal maintenance under Arizona’s current laws, contact The Dodds Law Firm, PLC for a consultation. Call us at (623) 267-0026.
Disclaimer: This blog post provides general information about Arizona law and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique, and you must consult a qualified family law attorney for advice tailored to your situation.
