Alimony
Court-ordered financial support paid by one spouse to the other during separation or after divorce.
Example
He was ordered to pay alimony for five years to help her transition to self-sufficiency.
Canadian Equivalent
In Canada, this is referred to as Spousal Support (under Divorce Act and provincial family law statutes; calculated using SSAG).
Jurisdiction Variations
Spousal Support
California exclusively uses 'spousal support' — never 'alimony'
Spousal Maintenance
Texas uses 'spousal maintenance' (court-ordered) and 'contractual alimony' (agreed)
Spousal Maintenance
Colorado uses 'spousal maintenance'
Spousal Maintenance
Illinois renamed 'alimony' to 'maintenance' in 2016
Spousal Maintenance (post-divorce) / Temporary Maintenance (during proceedings)
New York distinguishes temporary and post-divorce maintenance
Spousal Maintenance
Minnesota uses 'spousal maintenance'
Spousal Maintenance
Wisconsin uses 'maintenance'
Spousal Support / Alimony
Michigan uses both terms interchangeably
Spousal Support (transitional, compensatory, or maintenance)
Oregon categorizes support into three types: transitional, compensatory, and spousal maintenance
Alimony (bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational, permanent)
Florida has specific categories of alimony; reformed in 2023 SB 1416
Alimony (open durational, limited duration, rehabilitative, reimbursement)
New Jersey reformed alimony in 2014; eliminated permanent alimony for marriages under 20 years