Arizona does allow spousal maintenance in appropriate cases. Judges are required to perform a two-part analysis under A.R.S. Section 25-319. First, under 25-319 A, the judge must decide whether the person seeking maintenance qualifies for an award. The judge considers several factors, including the relative earning abilities of the parties, the length of the marriage, the parties’ ages, and the property each party will receive in the divorce. If the judge determines that the person seeking maintenance does not qualify, the inquiry ends. If the judge determines that the person seeking maintenance qualifies for an award, the judge then moves to the second part of the analysis under 25-319 B — the amount and duration of the award. This statute requires the judge to consider another long list of factors, which can be discussed in more detail in an office consultation.
