Do you qualify for Colorado spousal support?

Dividing one household and its income does not divide the expenses of running a single household. If you have concerns about affording an independent lifestyle after divorce, you may want to explore Colorado spousal support. 

Before negotiating a divorce agreement, review the factors that influence alimony in Colorado. 

Spousal support formula

First, you and your spouse must provide full financial disclosure. Colorado judges calculate alimony by subtracting 50% of the requesting spouse’s income from 40% of the higher-earning spouse’s income. If you request alimony and you earn $2,000 a month, the judge would subtract $1,000 from 40% of your spouse’s monthly income. In this example, if your spouse earns $6,000 a month, the monthly spousal support payment would be $2,400 minus $1,000 or $1,400. 

Adjustment factors

While the judge will use the calculation above as a starting point, he or she has the discretion to adjust spousal support for any of the following factors: 

• The age and health of each of you 
• How long the marriage lasted 
• The employment situation and income outlook for each of you 
• The lifestyle you enjoyed together while married 
• The agreement about marital property division 
• Whether either of you pays spousal support or child support to someone else 
• Whether you receive child support for children from another marriage 

If you qualify for spousal support, the court will likely impose a time limit. For example, you may receive alimony until you finish a job training program or degree. The state rarely awards indefinite spousal support, except in cases involving disability or advanced age.