Spousal support is governed by Family Code section 4320. Thus, when ordering permanent support, a judge will look at the factors set forth in that section. These include, the standard of living during marriage, the income of both parties, the length of the marriage, the age of the parties, their health, their earning capacity, education, job skills, their assets and liabilities, and the ability of the non-earner spouse to obtain the skills necessary to become self-sufficient.
As in situations involving child support, the calculation of the amount of spousal support is determined by the dissomaster, which is a computer program used by attorneys to calculate support payments based on California guidelines. However, unlike child support, the parties may agree amongst themselves to waive spousal support.