Arizona calls alimony spousal maintenance. A court can order it only if the spouse asking meets one of five tests in A.R.S. 25-319, such as lacking enough property for their reasonable needs. If they qualify, the amount and length come from the Arizona Supreme Court's Spousal Maintenance Guidelines, and the guideline result is the order unless the court finds in writing it would be inappropriate or unjust.
That second step is newer than many guides suggest. A 2022 amendment to the statute, effective September 24, 2022, directed the Supreme Court to create guidelines. The Arizona Judicial Branch now lists the 2025 Arizona Spousal Maintenance Guidelines, effective September 1, 2025 and adopted by Administrative Order 2025-101, alongside the earlier 2023 version adopted by Administrative Order 2023-119. Check which version applies to your filing date. Checked in October 2026.
This is a plain-English summary of what the statute says, checked in October 2026. It isn't legal advice, and a family lawyer or your county court's self-help center can tell you how it applies to your case.
The five ways to qualify
Under Section 25-319(A), the court may grant maintenance for either spouse if it finds the spouse seeking it:
- Lacks sufficient property, including property apportioned to them in the divorce, to provide for their reasonable needs.
- Lacks earning ability in the labor market that's adequate to be self-sufficient.
- Is the parent of a child whose age or condition means the parent shouldn't be required to work outside the home.
- Made a significant financial or other contribution to the other spouse's education, training, vocational skills, career or earning ability, or significantly reduced their own income or career opportunities for the other spouse's benefit.
- Had a marriage of long duration and is of an age that may make it impossible to find work adequate to be self-sufficient.
Meeting any one is enough to move to the next step. Failing all five means there's no maintenance, however unequal the incomes, so the first job in any claim is to show which test applies and why.
How the guidelines set amount and duration
Section 25-319(B) gives the guidelines a specific goal: maintenance only for a period of time and in an amount necessary to enable the receiving spouse to become self-sufficient. The Arizona Judicial Branch says the guidelines are used with a Spousal Maintenance Calculator and produce ranges for both amount and duration.
The courts list three aims for those ranges: encouraging the requesting spouse to become self-sufficient, giving similar results for people in similar circumstances, and promoting settlements. The calculator and the full guidelines are published on the Arizona Judicial Branch's family law pages.
The factors behind the guidelines
- The standard of living during the marriage and the duration of the marriage.
- The age, employment history, earning ability and health of the spouse seeking maintenance.
- The paying spouse's ability to meet their own needs while meeting the other's.
- Comparative financial resources and earning abilities.
- Contributions to the other spouse's earning ability, and any career sacrifice for the other's benefit.
- Both parties' ability to contribute to their children's future education costs.
- The time needed to get education or training, and whether it's readily available.
- Excessive or abnormal spending, or hiding or fraudulently disposing of shared property.
- Health insurance costs for the spouse seeking maintenance, and damages from criminal conduct where the other spouse or a child was the victim.
The statute tells the Supreme Court to base both the guidelines and the criteria for deviating from them on these factors, considered together. So a deviation argument has to be framed around them.
When maintenance can change or end
| Event | What A.R.S. 25-327 says |
|---|---|
| Substantial and continuing change in circumstances | The maintenance provisions may be modified or terminated |
| Arrears built up before notice of a motion | Can't be modified |
| Death of either party | Future maintenance ends, unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly provided in the decree |
| Remarriage of the recipient | Future maintenance ends, unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly provided in the decree |
There's one big exception. Under Section 25-317(G), if the decree sets out or incorporates a separation agreement that says its maintenance terms shall not be modified, the court can't modify them at all. If you're settling, decide deliberately whether you want that clause in.
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Taxes and health cover
For federal tax, the IRS says alimony under an agreement executed after 2018 isn't deductible by the payer or income for the recipient. Because health insurance costs are one of the statutory factors, it's worth pricing cover early; this guide to COBRA continuation coverage explains one option if you're on a spouse's workplace plan, and this explainer on Form 8857 innocent spouse relief covers tax bills from joint returns.
Verdict
Arizona has moved from open discretion to guided ranges. If you're asking for maintenance, nail down which of the five tests you meet, then use the court's calculator to see the likely range. If you're paying, remember the guideline figure becomes the order unless the court explains in writing why it shouldn't, so any argument for a lower amount needs to be tied to the statutory factors.
Frequently asked questions
How is spousal maintenance calculated in Arizona?
If a spouse qualifies under A.R.S. 25-319(A), the court uses the Arizona Supreme Court's Spousal Maintenance Guidelines and calculator, which produce ranges for amount and duration. The 2025 guidelines took effect on September 1, 2025.
Who qualifies for alimony in Arizona?
A spouse who lacks enough property for reasonable needs, lacks adequate earning ability, is the parent of a child who needs them at home, made significant contributions to the other's career, or had a long marriage and is of an age that limits employment.
Does remarriage end alimony in Arizona?
Yes, unless the parties agreed otherwise in writing or the decree expressly says otherwise. Death of either party ends it on the same terms.
Can Arizona spousal maintenance be modified?
Generally yes, on a showing of substantial and continuing changed circumstances, except for amounts already owed before notice of the motion, and except where the decree incorporates a separation agreement saying the maintenance terms can't be modified.
Can the judge ignore the guidelines in Arizona?
Only if the court finds in writing that applying the guidelines would be inappropriate or unjust. Otherwise the guideline amount is the amount ordered.
