How New Jersey alimony works
New Jersey courts use statutory factors to decide alimony amount and duration.
N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 requires New Jersey courts to consider factors including actual need and ability to pay, marriage length, age and health, the marital standard of living, earning capacity, time out of the workforce, parental responsibilities, education and training needs, property distribution, investment income, and tax treatment. [1]
The statute does not give courts a statewide percentage formula for the monthly alimony amount. That is why this page asks you to enter a payment instead of generating one.
New Jersey alimony duration
For marriages under 20 years, alimony generally cannot last longer than the marriage.
For a marriage or civil union shorter than 20 years, New Jersey law says the total duration of alimony generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage or civil union. Exceptional circumstances can justify a longer term. [1]
For marriages of 20 years or longer, that specific marriage-length cap does not apply. The court still decides duration after considering the statutory factors.
Questions about New Jersey alimony calculations.
Does New Jersey use a formula to calculate alimony?
No statewide statutory percentage formula sets the final alimony amount. New Jersey courts determine amount and duration from the statutory factors in N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23.
Does a 10-year marriage mean 10 years of alimony?
No. For a marriage under 20 years, the marriage length is generally a maximum duration, not an automatic term. A court can order a shorter term, and exceptional circumstances can support a longer term.
What does the payment in this calculator represent?
It is a payment you enter. The calculator shows how that payment changes both household budgets. It does not predict what a New Jersey court will order.
New Jersey alimony sources and calculator limits
Public-source check: September 6, 2026. Current calculator rules release: 0.18.0. The payment worksheet is arithmetic. The duration reference implements the marriage-length rule only. This is not attorney reviewed and does not evaluate exceptional circumstances, eligibility, modification, retirement, cohabitation, or tax consequences.