Last reviewed: July 4, 2026
What the forecaster estimates
The forecaster gives you three things: a rough split of your marital assets and debts, an estimated range for spousal support, and a projected monthly budget for life after divorce.
You answer about nine short sections covering your state, incomes, property, retirement, debts, expenses, and insurance. From those inputs the tool builds a personalized picture in about ten minutes. What it does not do is predict what a judge will order. Divorce outcomes are decided case by case, so treat the results as a well-reasoned starting point for understanding your situation, not a forecast of a specific ruling.
How asset division is estimated
Your state determines the approach, and the model uses three tiers.
Community property states
In the nine community-property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), marital property is generally treated as owned equally, so the model starts from a straight 50/50 split.
Equitable distribution states
Everywhere else, property is divided "equitably," which means fairly but not necessarily equally. Here the model starts near half and tilts a slightly larger share toward the lower earner, to reflect the gap in income and future earning capacity. That is the direction courts tend to lean when one spouse out-earns the other. A small number of equitable states begin from a statutory presumption of an equal split, and for those the model tilts less.
Two more factors adjust the tilt. The longer the marriage, the more the split is pulled back toward equal, on the reasoning that finances become more intertwined over time (the effect reaches its full strength at around twenty years). And if the lower earner is older, the split nudges a little further in their favor. In every case the result is kept within a modest range around the midpoint, so no estimate swings to an extreme.
It is worth being clear about the limits here. There is no real legal formula for equitable distribution; it is a judgment made case by case. Our model is an intentionally simplified heuristic meant to give you a reasonable sense of the range, not a calculation of a legal entitlement.
How spousal support is estimated
The estimated support range is driven mainly by the gap between the two incomes and the length of the marriage.
Those are the factors that most influence support in practice: a larger income gap and a longer marriage generally point toward more support, for longer. Because states vary widely in how they handle spousal support (also called alimony), and because negotiation and judicial discretion play a large role, the tool presents a rough range rather than a single figure.
How your post-divorce budget is built
The tool estimates your individual take-home pay, then subtracts your projected individual monthly expenses to show what a single-income month could look like.
It calculates take-home pay from your gross income using federal tax brackets for single filers (your likely status after divorce) plus estimated state income tax. It then projects your own share of monthly costs, including housing, everyday expenses, and your own health coverage, which often changes after divorce when one spouse leaves the other's employer plan. The result is a ballpark of your monthly financial picture, not a line-item budget.
What this can and cannot tell you
Being candid about the limits is part of doing this responsibly:
- It gives you a reasonable range and a sense of direction. It does not predict a specific court outcome.
- It uses simplified rules that apply broadly. It cannot account for every fact of your case, a prenuptial agreement, unusual assets, or a contested valuation.
- The tax and support figures are estimates built on current federal brackets and typical patterns, not a filing or a court order.
- It does not estimate child support, which is highly state-specific and depends on custody arrangements that are usually not yet settled.
Used with that understanding, the forecast is a genuinely useful way to replace uncertainty with a concrete starting point you can take into conversations with professionals.
See your own forecast
Answer a few questions and get a personalized estimate of your finances after divorce in about ten minutes.
Start My Free ForecastNot legal or financial advice. This tool and page provide rough estimates for educational purposes only. Every divorce is unique, and actual outcomes depend on negotiation, judicial discretion, specific state laws, and tax implications. We strongly recommend consulting a qualified family law attorney, CPA, and financial advisor in your state.