Minnesota spousal maintenance amount
Minnesota courts decide the maintenance amount from financial needs and statutory factors.
Minnesota Statutes §518.552 allows maintenance when the spouse seeking support lacks enough property to meet reasonable needs, cannot provide adequate self-support, or is caring for a child whose circumstances make outside employment inappropriate. [1]
The statute directs the court to set an amount it considers just after reviewing financial resources, education or training needs, the marital standard of living, marriage length, lost employment opportunities, age and health, ability to pay, contributions to the other spouse’s career, and retirement needs. It does not state a statewide percentage formula for the dollar amount. [1]
Minnesota maintenance duration
Minnesota law now uses marriage-length presumptions for maintenance duration.
For a marriage shorter than five years, §518.552 creates a rebuttable presumption that no maintenance should be awarded. For a marriage of at least five years but less than 20 years, the statute creates a rebuttable presumption for transitional maintenance lasting no longer than one-half the marriage length if the grounds for maintenance support an award. For a marriage of 20 years or more, the statute creates a rebuttable presumption for indefinite maintenance if the grounds support an award. [1]
Minnesota measures marriage length for this rule from the date of marriage to the date the divorce or legal-separation action begins. [1]
Questions about Minnesota spousal maintenance calculations.
Does Minnesota use a formula to calculate the alimony amount?
No statewide percentage formula appears in §518.552. The court determines the amount from the statutory grounds and factors.
How does marriage length affect Minnesota spousal maintenance?
Marriage length creates rebuttable duration presumptions: under five years generally no maintenance, five to under 20 years transitional maintenance up to half the marriage length if maintenance is otherwise supported, and 20 years or more indefinite maintenance if the statutory grounds support it.
What does Minnesota call alimony?
Minnesota courts use the term spousal maintenance. The Minnesota Judicial Branch describes it as money one spouse pays to help support the other spouse and identifies transitional and indefinite maintenance. [2]
Minnesota spousal maintenance sources and calculator limits
- 01Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: §518.552, spousal maintenance
- 02Minnesota Judicial Branch: divorce and spousal maintenance guidance
Public-source check: September 6, 2026. Current calculator rules release: 0.18.0. This page uses the current Minnesota duration presumptions and a payment chosen by the visitor. It does not decide whether maintenance should be awarded, calculate a court-selected dollar amount, handle existing orders, or provide legal advice. It is not attorney reviewed.