Worked example: Alimony Child Support in Arizona

Example inputs

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Alimony Child Support calculator.

This worked example shows how DocketMath applies Arizona jurisdiction-aware rules for calculating combined alimony + child support, using the alimony-child-support calculator.

If you want to follow along interactively, open the calculator here: /tools/alimony-child-support.

Scenario (family details)

• Jurisdiction: **Arizona (US-AZ)
• Dates:

  • Filing date: 2024-09-15
  • Possible start/trigger date for amounts: 2022-10-01
• Household:

  • Child support: 2 children
  • Parenting time assumption for calculator inputs: baseline (see below)

Financial inputs (entered into DocketMath)

Use these as example inputs for the alimony-child-support calculator:

• Income (Mother): $6,500/month
• Income (Father): $7,200/month
• Health insurance for children: $220/month (add-on/adjustment input)
• Child care costs: $350/month
• Alimony (maintenance) decision input:

  • Alimony requested: Yes
  • Duration assumption in the scenario: 4 years (used to compute an example ongoing plan)
• Parenting time input:

  • Approx. overnights with each parent: 56/168 (about 25% of time with Father)
• Other deductions/credits (if your DocketMath screen supports them):

  • Retirement/social security offset: $0 (for this worked example)

Time limitation (statute of limitations) input

DocketMath’s jurisdiction-aware handling includes a general limitations period. For Arizona, the general SOL period is 2 years, applied using the general statute:

• General SOL period (default): 2 years
• Cited Arizona provision: A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
  Source: https://www.findlaw.com/state/arizona-law/arizona-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html?utm_source=openai

Important clarity: because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for this worked example, you should treat this as a general/default lookback limit, not a promise that every case follows the same limitation logic.

Example run

Here’s a step-by-step example run using the scenario above. Exact numeric outputs depend on the calculator’s formula structure and how your inputs map to DocketMath fields; this walkthrough focuses on the logic, directionality, and how the timing rule constrains lookback amounts.

Step 1: Check the default time limitation (2-year lookback)

DocketMath compares the potential trigger/start date to the filing date:

• Filing date: 2024-09-15
• Trigger/start date: 2022-10-01
• Time elapsed: about 1 year 11.5 months

Because the elapsed time is within 2 years, the general/default SOL window (2-year period) does not exclude the scenario’s amounts as “too old” for this example’s included lookback logic.

If instead the trigger/start date were earlier than 2022-09-15 (two years before filing), DocketMath would apply the general/default 2-year cutoff and limit which months (lookback amounts) are included based on that timing constraint.

Reminder: This is the general/default SOL model used for this worked example. Claim-specific limitations can differ in real cases.

Step 2: Compute child support portion (with adjustments)

Given:

• Two children
• Father has higher monthly income ($7,200 vs. $6,500)
• Child care: $350/month
• Health insurance: $220/month
• Parenting time: Father overnights are ~25% (56 out of 168)

DocketMath will typically:

1. Calculate a baseline child support number using both parents’ incomes,
2. Add or adjust for:

   • Child care costs,
   • Health insurance handling,
   • Parenting time deviations.

Directionality you should expect:

• When one parent’s income is higher, the other parent may have a higher support obligation side depending on the calculator’s internal support formula.
• Higher child care usually increases total child support.
• Higher health insurance usually increases total child support (depending on how the model credits or allocates the premium).
• More parenting time for a parent often reduces that parent’s cash obligation in many standard support models (or shifts the direction depending on custody/credit conventions used by the calculator).

Step 3: Compute alimony (maintenance) portion

Given:

• Alimony requested: Yes
• Duration assumption: 4 years
• Income difference: Father higher

DocketMath will compute an example alimony component using the calculator’s internal logic based on:

• Income levels and/or net income assumptions,
• Your alimony requested input,
• The duration framing in the scenario.

Directionality you should expect:

• With Father’s income higher, alimony (when included by your inputs) is commonly modeled as flowing from the higher-earning spouse to the lower-earning spouse.
• Changing duration (even if monthly amounts are similar) typically affects total alimony paid over the assumed period.

Step 4: Combine results into a combined monthly plan

DocketMath returns:

• Monthly child support estimate
• Monthly alimony estimate
• Combined monthly estimate (and—if enabled—total over the assumed timeline)

Example output snapshot (how to interpret it)

You may see a structure similar to the following (use your actual DocketMath output values for the exact figures):

SOL impact example (a “what if” within the same logic)

To see how the timing rule changes the modeled included amounts, run two quick variants (keep the financial inputs the same, only change trigger timing):

1. **Variant A (within 2 years)

• Trigger/start: 2022-10-01
• Filing: 2024-09-15
• Result: amounts are generally included (within the default period).

1. **Variant B (outside 2 years)

• Trigger/start: 2022-06-01
• Filing: 2024-09-15
• Result: DocketMath applies the general/default 2-year cutoff, limiting included lookback amounts.

Sensitivity check

Small changes in inputs can noticeably shift both child support and alimony outputs. Use this checklist to see what to test in DocketMath.

To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.

A. Timing sensitivity (SOL cutoff)

Keep financial inputs the same, but change the trigger/start date:

B. Income difference sensitivity

Change one parent’s income and observe directionality:

• Expect child support to increase in many cases (often reflecting the income difference).
• Alimony (if included) may increase depending on the model’s method.
• Expect the model to treat Mother as having more need relative to Father, often increasing the likelihood/size of support flow.

C. Parenting time sensitivity

Adjust parenting time inputs:

• Expect Father’s cash obligation to often decrease (depending on the calculator’s parenting-time credit rules).
• Expect Father’s cash obligation to often increase.

D. Cost sensitivity: child care and health insurance

Modify add-on costs:

• Expect higher child support due to higher expense inputs.
• Expect higher child support, depending on how the calculator credits coverage.

E. Alimony duration sensitivity

If DocketMath takes a duration input (or derives it from scenario fields):

• Expect the modeled total alimony over the timeline to shrink (monthly amount may change depending on the model).
• Expect a larger total alimony plan over the longer assumed period.

Quick “directionality” summary

Related reading

• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Alabama
• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Colorado
• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Connecticut