Support Alimony Budget Calculator

How to use the budget calculator.

Step 1

Before you begin you should have at least three months of your bank statements that show what you spend and what is deposited into your bank account from your pay check. This will help you as you follow the next few steps

Step 2

Now you need to figure out your average monthly net income. This is your  also know as your take-home pay. You should be able to look at what is deposited into your bank account each month, or what your paycheck shows as the amount paid to you after all deductions. Make sure to use the monthly average which is spread out through out the year.

Step 3

Now figure out what you spend. You should identify each expense that you have and come up with the average you spend each month. These expenses should be taken from your bank statement.

Step 4

Enter the numbers into the budget. It will automatically add all of your expenses together and subtract them from your monthly net income.

Step 5

Interpret the results. If your Ability/Need amount is positive, it means that you have enough money to meet your expenses, and this is the money left over that might be used for alimony. If your Ability/Need amount is negative, it means that you don’t have enough money to meet your expenses, and you may need assistance.

Beware!

Any budget is only as good as the information used to make it. People argue about budgets in court and take exception to both the income numbers and the expense numbers. However, it helps to try to figure this out yourself, and see what the calculator says.