Alimony and Spousal Support in Arizona

The court may order spousal maintenance if the spouse seeking it lacks enough property for reasonable needs, lacks adequate earning ability, is caring for a child who makes outside work inappropriate, contributed significantly to the other spouse's education or career, or had a long marriage and is of an age that may prevent adequate employment. Amount and duration follow Arizona Supreme Court guidelines, based on factors such as the standard of living, length of the marriage, each spouse's earning ability and resources, and time needed for training. Maintenance is ordered without regard to marital misconduct and only for as long and in an amount needed to become self-sufficient.

Arizona is a community property state. Property acquired by either spouse during the marriage is community property, except gifts and inheritances and property acquired after service of a petition that results in a decree. Property owned before marriage, gifts and inheritances, and their rents and profits are separate property. The court assigns each spouse's separate property to that spouse and divides community and jointly held property equitably, though not necessarily in kind, without regard to marital misconduct. The court can consider wasting, concealing or fraudulently disposing of shared property.