How to read the result
What this maintenance calculator calculates
Change the facts to compare scenarios, then read the lines under the total. They show which inputs were used and which questions—such as above-threshold support, a formula adjustment, or an expert fee—the calculator leaves open.
The maintenance comparison
Lower of Formula 1 and Formula 2→Zero floor→Reserve protection
The formulas use no more than $241,000 of the payor’s annual income, but they continue to use the payee’s statutory income. A court decides whether payor income above that 2026 threshold supports additional maintenance.
Choose the right branch first
The child-support roles change Formula 1
| Situation | Formula 1 | Formula 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Payor is the noncustodial parent who will pay child support for children of the marriage | 20% payor − 25% payee | 40% × (formula payor + payee) − payee |
| No child support, or the maintenance payor is the custodial parent | 30% payor − 20% payee | 40% × (formula payor + payee) − payee |
Use the lower result, but not less than zero, and then apply the $21,546 self-support reserve. If the payor’s income is already below the reserve, the statute creates a rebuttable presumption that no maintenance will be awarded.
The same incomes, two different branches
Child-support roles can change the formula result
$100,000 payor · $40,000 payee
Formula 1 is $22,000 and Formula 2 is $16,000. Before any court adjustment, the lower amount is $16,000 a year, or about $1,333.33 a month.
The same $100,000 and $40,000 incomes
Formula 1 falls to $10,000 while Formula 2 stays $16,000. The lower amount is $10,000 a year, or about $833.33 a month.
Post-divorce maintenance only
Marriage length produces an advisory range
| Marriage length | Advisory duration |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 15 years | 15%–30% of marriage length |
| More than 15 through 20 years | 30%–40% of marriage length |
| More than 20 years | 35%–50% of marriage length |
Marriage length runs from the wedding date to commencement of the action. The court may choose a term inside or outside the range after considering the statutory factors, and it may award non-durational maintenance in an appropriate case. The table does not apply to temporary maintenance.
What the income formula leaves open
The final order can differ from the worksheet
The result shows
- The formula branch selected by the child-support answers
- Payor income used through $241,000
- Both formula results and the lower nonnegative amount
- Any self-support-reserve reduction
- The advisory range for post-divorce duration
A court still decides
- Whether the guideline is unjust or inappropriate
- Whether payor income above $241,000 supports more maintenance
- Disputed or attributed income
- The actual duration, including any non-durational award
- Later modification or termination questions
Before using the formula
Collect income and marriage-date records for both spouses
- Use recent federal returns, W-2s, 1099s, pay statements, benefit records, and business records.
- Include investment income, deferred compensation, pensions, retirement payments, disability, and unemployment.
- Find proof of FICA and New York City or Yonkers income tax actually paid.
- Gather the orders, agreements, and payment records for qualifying support paid to someone outside this case.
- Confirm the wedding date and the date the divorce action began; those dates determine the marriage length used for the advisory range.
Questions about the result
What the calculator can and cannot tell you
How is maintenance calculated in New York?
First identify the higher-income spouse as the payor. New York then compares two annual calculations and starts with the lower result, never less than zero. One set of percentages applies when the payor is also the noncustodial parent who will pay child support; a different set applies in other cases.
What is the New York maintenance formula threshold in 2026?
$241,000 is the amount of the payor’s income used in the formula as of March 1, 2026. It does not limit the possible award. A judge may award additional maintenance on income above $241,000 after considering the statutory factors and explaining the decision.
How long can post-divorce maintenance last?
For post-divorce maintenance, the advisory ranges are 15%–30% of the marriage for a marriage of 15 years or less, 30%–40% for more than 15 through 20 years, and 35%–50% for more than 20 years. The judge must consider the statutory factors whether or not the range is used.
Is temporary maintenance calculated the same way?
The amount formulas are similar, but the advisory marriage-length table applies only to post-divorce maintenance. Temporary maintenance supports a spouse while the case is pending and does not predict the amount or duration in the final judgment.
Is maintenance calculated before child support?
Yes. The maintenance amount is subtracted from the payor’s income and added to the payee’s income before child support is calculated. That changes each parent’s proportional share even though their combined income stays the same.
Does the calculator predict the final award?
No. It shows the formula amount on income through $241,000 and, for post-divorce maintenance, the advisory duration range. A court may adjust the amount, decide whether income over the formula threshold supports more maintenance, and set a different duration after considering the statute.
New York law and court materials
Sources for the figures and formulas
- New York Courts — 2026 support and maintenance figures
The court system’s notice of the figures that took effect March 1, 2026: $193,000, $241,000, $21,546, and $15,960.
- New York Domestic Relations Law §236
The text of New York’s maintenance and equitable-distribution law, including both formulas, the advisory duration table, and the property factors.
- New York Courts — maintenance and child support tools
Official worksheets for annual income, temporary maintenance, post-divorce maintenance, and child support.