A tool designed to estimate the potential amount and duration of payments from one spouse to another following a divorce in Arkansas. This estimation is based on factors such as the length of the marriage, the income of each spouse, and the standard of living established during the marriage. For example, if a couple was married for 20 years and one spouse significantly out-earned the other, the calculator might suggest a higher amount of support for a longer period.
The availability of a method to project potential spousal maintenance obligations offers benefits in divorce proceedings. It can provide a preliminary understanding of financial implications, potentially facilitating settlement negotiations and reducing litigation costs. Historically, determining spousal support involved complex legal arguments and judicial discretion, making it difficult to predict outcomes. The emergence of estimation tools represents an effort to introduce a degree of predictability into this process.