Reviewed for current 2026 law
Wisconsin Maintenance Factors 2026
Wisconsin calls alimony maintenance and decides it through statutory factors, not a fixed percentage.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
maintenance factors
WI sets alimony by judicial discretion; there is no statutory formula. Courts weigh the enumerated factors below.
Factors the court weighs
- Length of the marriage
- Age and physical and emotional health of the parties
- Division of property made in the case
- Educational level of each party at marriage and when the action began
- Earning capacity of the party seeking maintenance, including education, training, employment skills, work experience, absence from the job market, custodial duties, and time and expense needed for training
- Feasibility that the party seeking maintenance can become self-supporting at a standard reasonably comparable to the marital standard of living
- Tax consequences to each party
- Mutual agreements made before or during the marriage
- Contribution by one party to the education, training, or increased earning power of the other
- Other factors the court determines relevant in the individual case
Wis. Stat. § 767.56(1c)
Assumptions
- This tool does not estimate a dollar amount for discretionary states: any number would be invented.
- Wisconsin has no statutory maintenance amount formula. Courts apply the section 767.56 factors and the support and fairness objectives developed in case law.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Wisconsin alimony under Wis. Stat. § 767.56.
Wisconsin maintenance has no amount formula
Section 767.56 asks the court to weigh ten categories, including marriage length, health, property division, education, earning capacity, standard of living, taxes, agreements, and contributions to the other spouse earning power.
The analysis serves support and fairness goals. Income is important, but no one income difference produces a required award.
This tool returns the legal factor checklist and official statute link. It does not create a dollar prediction.
Use the factors as an evidence checklist
Collect budgets, income records, work history, training costs, health evidence, property-division terms, tax effects, and agreements.
A private online percentage is not the Wisconsin statutory method.
What this estimate includes
- All section 767.56 factor categories
- Official statute source
What it leaves out
- A dollar prediction
- A duration promise
- Tax or legal advice
Wisconsin maintenance factors FAQs
Does Wisconsin have an alimony formula?
No. Section 767.56 gives the court a discretionary factor framework rather than an amount formula.
What does Wisconsin call alimony?
The statutory term is maintenance.
Does marriage length matter?
Yes. It is the first listed factor, but the court weighs it with the full record.
Does property division affect maintenance?
Yes. The property division made in the case is an express factor.
Can education and job history matter?
Yes. The court considers current education, earning capacity, time away from work, and the time and expense needed for training.
Why is there no number on this page?
A dollar output would imply a formula the Wisconsin statute does not contain.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Wis. Stat. § 767.56 maintenance factors
Wisconsin Legislature Last checked
Changelog: page reviewed . Material changes appear in the update log.