Oppose SB1049's Harmful Changes to Spousal Support Standards

I urge you to oppose Senate Bill 1049, scheduled for consideration in the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee this Wednesday. This legislation, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, would fundamentally undermine fair spousal support determinations in Arizona divorces by amending Title 25, Article 319 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. The bill's most damaging provision lowers the standard of living factor to one-half of the marital standard of living, down from the current standard of maintaining the entire marital standard of living. This change ignores basic economic reality. Housing costs, utilities, insurance, and other essential expenses cannot simply be cut in half. A person who maintained a certain standard of living during marriage cannot suddenly afford comparable housing, transportation, and healthcare on half that amount. This arbitrary reduction would disproportionately harm individuals who sacrificed career advancement to support their spouse's professional growth or to care for children and family. These contributions have real economic value that enabled the other spouse to build earning capacity. Cutting the standard of living calculation in half dismisses these contributions and leaves economically vulnerable spouses unable to secure stable housing or maintain basic necessities after divorce. The current standard exists because courts recognized that both spouses contributed to building their shared life, whether through income or unpaid labor. Spousal support is meant to prevent one spouse from falling into poverty while the other maintains comfort. Reducing this to half the marital standard creates an unjust two-tier outcome that punishes the lower-earning spouse for the partnership they built together. I ask you to vote against SB1049 in committee this Wednesday. Arizona's current spousal support framework provides fair consideration of both spouses' circumstances. This bill would replace that balance with an arbitrary formula that ignores housing market realities and the economic contributions of both partners to a marriage.