Spousal Support

Spousal support is money that is paid by one spouse to another, either temporarily or permanently, to maintain a standard of living during or after the divorce.  Sometimes it is referred to as alimony or spousal maintenance.  Temporary support is used to maintain the status quo while the divorce is pending.  The amount of temporary support is determined based on certain California guidelines.  Permanent support (or support for an exact number of years) may be awarded after the divorce is final, or after temporary support expires.  In order to determine the correct amount of permanent support, the family court balances various factors as they relate to each spouse, including: