Maine Alimony / Spousal Support Estimator

Maine has no fixed formula for calculating spousal support. Under Title 19-A, § 951-A, judges use judicial discretion and evaluate 17 statutory factors including marriage length, each party's income and earning potential, age, health, and standard of living during the marriage. The court determines the type, amount, and duration of support based on the specific financial circumstances of both spouses.

Maine recognizes five types of spousal support under § 951-A: general support for long-term financial disparity, transitional support for short-term workforce reentry needs, reimbursement support to repay contributions to a spouse's education or career, nominal support (typically $1/month) to preserve future court authority, and interim support during the pending divorce action. Transitional support is the most commonly awarded type in Maine.

Duration varies by type under Maine's § 951-A. General support carries a rebuttable presumption against awards for marriages under 10 years, and for marriages of 10–20 years, support generally cannot exceed half the marriage length. Marriages over 20 years have no presumptive cap. Transitional support lasts only as long as needed for workforce reentry. Interim support ends when the divorce is finalized.

Under § 951-A(5), Maine courts evaluate 17 factors: marriage length, each party's ability to pay, age, employment history and potential, income history and potential, education and training, retirement and health insurance provisions, tax consequences of property division, health and disabilities, and contributions to the marriage. The court may also consider any other factor it deems appropriate.

Yes, but the standard depends on when the order was issued. Awards made on or after October 1, 2013 under § 951-A(9) require proof of a substantial change in financial circumstances and that justice requires modification. Non-increase clauses in agreements are enforceable, but Maine courts retain authority to decrease support even when an agreement attempts to prohibit reductions. A final judgment that does not award support permanently bars future requests.

No, Maine does not consider marital fault — including adultery — when determining spousal support awards. While adultery is a recognized ground for fault-based divorce under Title 19-A, § 902, it does not factor into alimony calculations. Maine courts focus exclusively on the 17 financial and personal factors listed in § 951-A(5) when setting support amounts and duration.

For divorces finalized on or after January 1, 2019, spousal support payments are not tax-deductible for the paying spouse and not reportable as income for the receiving spouse under federal law (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017). Maine follows this federal treatment. Divorces finalized before January 1, 2019 may still follow the older rules where payments were deductible to the payor and taxable to the payee.

Yes, spouses may waive spousal support rights in a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in Maine. However, the agreement must meet enforceability standards including voluntary execution, fair disclosure of assets, and absence of unconscionability. Under § 951-A, a final judgment that does not award spousal support permanently precludes future requests in that action, making prenuptial waivers a significant decision requiring legal counsel.