How does the judge determine how much alimony will be paid?

Alimony is the most subjective issue to determine when dealing with a Divorce mostly because the State does not use a calculator to decide how much Alimony should be paid, if any at all. Like child custody, the judge is instructed to evaluate a specific list of factors specifically listed in a State statute to determine whether one party should be awarded alimony and in what amount. The judge’s duty when dealing with Alimony is to “equalize” the parties’ financial position.