Spousal Support
In one sentence
Court-ordered payments from one spouse to another, typically during or after divorce proceedings.
Plain English
Spousal support, also called maintenance or alimony, is money one spouse pays to the other to help with living expenses during or after a divorce. It recognizes that one spouse may have sacrificed career opportunities during the marriage or may have lower earning potential. Courts consider factors like the length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning ability, and their age and health when determining if support is appropriate and how much to award. Spousal support can be temporary (lasting only during the divorce process) or permanent (continuing indefinitely or for a set period).
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Example
A spouse who left their career to raise children receives $1,500 monthly in spousal support for three years while they complete education and return to work.
Used in a sentence
“The court awarded spousal support to the lower-earning spouse to help bridge the income gap after the divorce.”
How Spousal Support differs by state
Spousal Support can apply differently depending on the state. Click a state to see local specifics.
Alabama
Alabama courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with no specific formula or durational limits.
Alaska
Alaska courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula or presumed duration.
Arizona
Arizona uses a statutory formula for spousal maintenance duration based on marriage length, with income caps and specific percentages.
Arkansas
Arkansas courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula or fixed durational guidelines.
California
California uses a statutory formula for spousal support amount (40–50% of the difference in gross income) and duration tied to marriage length.
Colorado
Colorado courts consider 14 factors including earning capacity and standard of living when awarding spousal support.
Connecticut
Connecticut courts award alimony based on 13 statutory factors and may order it for shorter or longer marriages.
Delaware
Delaware courts award spousal support based on 12 statutory factors with no fixed formula or duration limits.
Florida
Florida applies a guideline formula for alimony based on combined parental income and marriage length.
Georgia
Georgia courts award alimony based on 11 factors with no statutory formula or presumed duration.
Hawaii
Hawaii courts award spousal support based on ten statutory factors, with no fixed duration limits for long marriages.
Idaho
Idaho courts award spousal maintenance based on financial need and ability to pay, with no specific statutory formula or duration guidelines.
Illinois
Illinois uses a statutory formula for spousal support based on income percentages, with duration tied to marriage length.
Indiana
Indiana courts award spousal maintenance based on need and ability to pay, with consideration of marriage length and earning capacity.
Iowa
Iowa courts award spousal support based on statutory factors with no fixed formula, considering need, ability to pay, and marriage length.
Kansas
Kansas courts award spousal support based on financial need and ability to pay, with no set duration limits.
Kentucky
Kentucky courts award spousal support based on financial need and ability to pay, with consideration of marital property division.
Louisiana
Louisiana restricts spousal support to cases of financial need and fault-based divorce, with strict income limits.
Maine
Maine courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with guidelines considering income and marital duration.
Maryland
Maryland courts award spousal support based on financial need and ability to pay, with consideration of marital standard of living.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts courts consider 14 factors including earning capacity and standard of living when awarding alimony.
Michigan
Michigan uses statutory guidelines based on combined parental income, with alimony duration tied to marriage length.
Minnesota
Minnesota applies statutory guidelines based on income and marriage length, with specific durational limits.
Mississippi
Mississippi courts have broad discretion in awarding alimony and consider all relevant factors without strict guidelines.
Missouri
Missouri courts consider 12 statutory factors and may award alimony as periodic, lump-sum, or rehabilitative support.
Montana
Montana courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no set formula or durational limits.
Nebraska
Nebraska courts award spousal support based on financial need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula or time limits.
Nevada
Nevada courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula but a rebuttable presumption against permanent awards.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no formula but consideration of marital property division.
New Jersey
New Jersey uses a statutory formula for temporary support but applies discretionary factors for permanent awards based on marriage length.
New Mexico
New Mexico courts award spousal support based on income differences and ability to pay, with no set duration limits.
New York
New York applies statutory formulas for temporary and post-divorce spousal support based on combined parental income.
North Carolina
North Carolina awards spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula or fixed duration.
North Dakota
North Dakota courts award spousal support based on need, ability to pay, and statutory factors, with no preset duration.
Ohio
Ohio courts award spousal support based on statutory factors with no formula, and may award it for a defined or indefinite term.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with no set duration unless the marriage lasted over 10 years.
Oregon
Oregon courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with duration tied to marriage length and specific statutory factors.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with no automatic termination upon remarriage of the recipient.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with duration and amount tied to marriage length and statutory factors.
South Carolina
South Carolina courts award alimony based on need and ability to pay, with termination upon remarriage or cohabitation of the recipient.
South Dakota
South Dakota courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no specific durational guidelines.
Tennessee
Tennessee recognizes alimony in solido (lump sum) and alimony in futuro (periodic), with awards tied to marital misconduct in some cases.
Texas
Texas limits spousal support to three years or longer marriages and caps monthly payments at the lesser of $5,000 or 20% of gross income.
Utah
Utah awards alimony based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula but consideration of earning capacity and standard of living.
Vermont
Vermont awards alimony based on need and ability to pay, with consideration of marital standard of living and earning capacity.
Virginia
Virginia courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no specific formula or durational limits.
Washington
Washington applies a formula-based approach to spousal maintenance using income levels and marriage duration, with specific durational limits.
West Virginia
West Virginia courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with consideration of marriage length and standard of living.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin courts determine spousal support using statutory factors with no fixed formula, considering need, ability to pay, and marriage length.
Wyoming
Wyoming courts award spousal support based on need and ability to pay, with no statutory formula or mandatory durational limits.
District of Columbia
DC courts award spousal support based on statutory factors and may modify or terminate awards if circumstances change substantially.
Related terms
Alimony
Court-ordered payments from one spouse to another after divorce or separation.
Divorce
The legal dissolution of a marriage, ending the spouses' rights and responsibilities to each other.
No-Fault Divorce
A divorce granted without requiring either spouse to prove wrongdoing by the other.
Child Support
Court-ordered payments from one parent to the other for a child's living expenses.
Common Law Marriage
A marriage created by mutual agreement and cohabitation, without a formal ceremony or license.
Community Property
Property acquired during marriage that is owned equally by both spouses, regardless of who earned it.
Child Custody
A court's decision about which parent has the right to care for and make decisions for a child.
This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney.