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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>83584</law_id><section_number>16.1-278.17:1</section_number><catch_line>Formula for determination of pendente lite spousal support</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Disposition</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> There shall be a <span class="dictionary">presumption</span> in any judicial proceeding for <span class="dictionary">pendente lite</span> spousal support and maintenance under this title that the amount of the award that would result from the application of the formula set forth in this section is the correct amount of spousal support to be awarded. <span class="dictionary">The court</span> may deviate from the presumptive amount as provided in subsection D. <a id="paragraph-299540" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-278.17_1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If <span class="dictionary">the court</span> is determining both an award of <span class="dictionary">pendente lite</span> spousal support and maintenance and an award of child support, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> shall first make a determination of the amount of the award of <span class="dictionary">pendente lite</span> spousal support, if any, owed by one <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the other under this section. <a id="paragraph-299541" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-278.17_1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If the parties have <span class="dictionary">minor</span> children in common, the presumptive amount of an award of <span class="dictionary">pendente lite</span> spousal support and maintenance shall be the difference between 26 percent of the payor spouse&#x2019;s monthly gross income and 58 percent of the payee spouse&#x2019;s monthly gross income. If the parties have no <span class="dictionary">minor</span> children in common, the presumptive amount of the award shall be the difference between 27 percent of the payor spouse&#x2019;s monthly gross income and 50 percent of the payee spouse&#x2019;s monthly gross income. For the purposes of this section, monthly gross income shall have the same meaning as it does in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Guideline for determination of child support; quadrennial review by Child Support Guidelines Review Panel; executive summary" href="/20-108.2/">20-108.2</a>. <a id="paragraph-299542" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-278.17_1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> <span class="dictionary">The court</span> may deviate from the presumptive amount for good cause shown, including any relevant <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> relating to the parties&#x2019; current financial circumstances or the impact of any tax exemption and any credits resulting from such exemption that indicates the presumptive amount is inappropriate. <a id="paragraph-299543" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-278.17_1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The presumptive formula set forth in this section shall only apply to cases where the parties&#x2019; combined monthly gross income does not exceed $10,000. <a id="paragraph-299544" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-278.17_1/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, c. 909; 2020, c. 651.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
