L E E
L A W
MAINTENANCE | SPOUSAL SUPPORT
The Colorado Legislature has formulated advisory guidelines, which are not binding on a court meaning the judge may or may not follow the guideli, for spousal/panartner mainteece which may apply in cases where parties have been married at least three (3) years and have combined gross annual income of
$360,000 or less. However, before maintenance could or would be granted to either party, the Court is required to consider a
variety of factors, including but not limited to:
1. financial resources of the parties, including need and ability to pay;
2. distribution of marital property;
3. actual or potential income produced from separate or marital property;
4. reasonable lifestyle and financial needs established during the marriage;
5. income, employment and employability of the parties;
6. historical earnings of the parties;
7. duration of the marriage
8. reasonable ability to independently meet one’s own reasonable needs;
9. age and health status of each party;
10. need and duration of education for lower earning party;
11. amount of temporary maintenance and number of months paid, if any;
12. significant economic or non-economic contributions to the marriage; and,
13. any and all other relevant factors.
The chart below displays maintenance for marriages from 3-20 years and lets you know the suggested length of maintenance, based on the months of marriage and the percentage of months. The chart below will tell you the guideline length of maintenance you get based on the length of your marriage but it is a suggestion and may not be awarded. The court has full discretion.
MONTHS OF MARRIAGE
PERCENTAGE OF MONTHS MARRIED USED TO DETERMINE TERM OF MAINTENANCE
SUGGESTED GUIDELINE FOR DURATION OF MAINTENANCE IN MONTHS (TERM)
36
31.00%
11
37
31.17%
12
39
31.50%
12
40
31.67%
13
41
31.83%
13
42
32.00%
13
43
32.17%
14
44
32.33%
14
45
32.50%
15
46
32.67%
15
47
32.83%
15
48
33.00%
16
49
33.17%
16
50
33.33%
17
51
33.50%
17
52
33.67%
18
53
33.83%
18
54
34.00%
18
55
34.17%
19
56
34.33
19
57
34.50%
20
58
34.67%
20
59
34.83%
21
60
35.00%
21
61
35.17%
21
62
35.33%
22
63
35.50
22
64
35.67%
23
65
35.83%
23
66
36.00%
24
67
36.17%
24
68
36.33%
25
69
36.50%
25
70
36.67%
26
71
36.83%
26
72
37.00%
27
73
37.17%
27
74
37.33%
28
75
37.50%
28
76
37.67%
29
77
37.83%
29
78
38.00%
30
79
38.17
30
80
38.33%
31
81
38.50%
31
82
38.67%
32
83
38.83%
32
84
39.00%
33
85
39.17%
33
86
39.33%
34
87
39.50%
34
88
39.67%
35
89
39.83%
35
90
40.00%
36
91
40.17%
37
92
40.33%
37
93
40.50%
38
94
40.67%
38
95
40.83%
39
96
41/00%
39
97
41.17%
40
98
41.33%
41
99
41.50%
41
100
41.67%
42
101
41.83%
42
102
42.00%
43
103
42.17%
43
104
42.33%
44
105
42.50%
45
106
42.67%
45
107
42.83%
46
108
43.00%
46
109
43.17%
47
110
43.33%
48
111
43.50%
48
112
43.67%
49
113
43.83%
50
114
44.00%
50
115
44.17%
51
116
44.33%
51
117
44.50%
52
118
44.67%
53
119
44.83%
53
120
45.00%
54
121
45.17%
55
122
45.33%
55
123
45.50%
56
124
45.67%
57
125
45.83
57
126
46.00%
58
127
46.17%
59
128
46.33%
59
129
46.50%
60
130
46.67%
61
131
46.83%
61
132
47.00%
62
133
47.17%
63
134
47.33%
63
135
47.50%
64
136
47.67%
65
137
47.83%
66
138
48.00%
66
139
48.17
67
140
48.33%
68
141
48.50%
68
142
48.67%
69
143
48.83%
70
144
49.00%
71
145
49.17%
71
146
49.33%
72
147
49.50%
73
148
49.67%
74
149
49.83%
74
150
50.00%
75
151
50.00%
76
152
50.00%
76
153
50.00%
77
154
50.00%
77
155
50.00%
78
156
50.00%
78
157
50.00%
79
158
50.00%
79
159
50.00%
80
160
50.00%
80
161
50.00%
81
162
50.00%
81
163
50.00%
82
164
50.00%
82
165
50.00%
83
166
50.00%
83
167
50.00%
84
168
50.00%
84
169
50.00%
85
170
50.00%
85
171
50.00%
86
172
50.00%
86
173
50.00%
87
174
50.00%
87
175
50.00%
88
176
50.00%
88
177
50.00%
89
178
50.00%
89
179
50.00%
90
180
50.00%
90
181
50.00%
91
182
50.00%
91
183
50.00%
92
184
50.00%
92
185
50.00%
93
186
50.00%
93
187
50.00%
94
188
50.00%
94
189
50.00%
95
190
50.00%
95
191
50.00%
96
192
50.00%
96
193
50.00%
97
194
50.00%
97
195
50.00%
98
196
50.00%
98
197
50.00%
99
198
50.00%
99
199
50.00%
100
200
50.00%
100
201
50.00%
101
202
50.00%
101
203
50.00%
102
204
50.00%
102
205
50.00%
103
206
50.00%
103
207
50.00%
104
208
50.00%
104
209
50.00%
105
210
50.00%
105
211
50.00%
106
212
50.00%
106
213
50.00%
107
214
50.00%
107
215
50.00%
108
216
50.00%
108
217
50.00%
109
218
50.00%
109
219
50.00%
110
220
50.00%
110
221
50.00%
111
222
50.00%
111
223
50.00%
112
224
50.00%
112
225
50.00%
113
226
50.00%
113
227
50.00%
114
228
50.00%
114
229
50.00%
115
230
50.00%
115
231
50.00%
116
232
50.00%
116
233
50.00%
117
234
50.00%
117
235
50.00%
118
236
50.00%
118
237
50.00%
119
238
50.00%
119
239
50.00%
120
240
50.00%
120
Example: 38% of 78 month marriage results in a suggested maintenance term of 30 months.
Example: 50% of 240 months marriage results in a suggested maintenance term of 120 months.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Calculating Maintenance Amount :
Three factors in calculating maintenance:
1) Take 40% of the HIGHER-EARNING SPOUSE’s income ,
2) Subtract 50% of the LOWER-EARNING SPOUSE’S income ,
3) Capped at 40% of the combined gross monthly income of the parties
______________________________________________________________________________
-
40% of the highest gross monthly income equals $___________________________
-
50% of the lowest gross monthly income equals $___________________________
-
A MINUS B EQUALS $___________________________
-
40% of both parties’ combined gross incomes $__________________________
-
Gross income of lower-income party $___________________________
-
D MINUS E EQUALS $___________________________
-
Maintenance Guideline Monthly Payment $___________________________
(whichever is the smaller number from C&F). $___________________________
-
The smaller amount from C or F, whichever is least, will be the amount of maintenance for the length of time indicated in the table above based on the number of months of marriage.
We will go through the maintenance calculations once we receive disclosures from the other party so we can figure out the exact amount of suggested maintenance based on the guideline.
ALSO, if maintenance is waived, it is waived FOREVER. A waiver of maintenance is a relinquishment of any and all rights to maintenance in the future, any modifications based on a change in circumstance. Once it is waived, it is waived forever.