Definition

1. Noun:
   • Court-ordered financial support paid by one spouse to the other after separation or divorce: Alimony refers to the legal obligation of one person to provide financial support to their former spouse after the marriage has ended. It is typically ordered by a court and is intended to help the recipient maintain a standard of living similar to that enjoyed during the marriage.

Usage

• Alimony is a legal term used in family law. It is a payment, not a division of property. The purpose is to address economic disparities between spouses after a divorce. The amount and duration are determined by factors like the length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning capacity, and the standard of living during the marriage.
• Example:

Examples

• Noun:
  • She received alimony to help her return to school and gain new job skills.
  • The court reduced his alimony payments after he lost his job.
  • They agreed on a lump-sum alimony settlement instead of ongoing payments.

Advanced Usage

• "Permanent alimony": Ongoing financial support with no set end date, sometimes awarded in long-term marriages.
  • After thirty years of marriage, she was awarded permanent alimony.
• "Rehabilitative alimony": Temporary support intended to help a spouse become self-sufficient through education or training.
  • The rehabilitative alimony will cover her tuition fees for two years.
• "Alimony pendente lite": Temporary alimony paid while the divorce case is pending in court.
  • She requested alimony pendente lite to cover her living expenses during the lengthy divorce proceedings.

Variants and Related Words

• Maintenance (n): A more general term for financial support, often used interchangeably with "alimony" in some legal contexts.
  • The divorce settlement included provisions for spousal maintenance.
• Spousal support (n): Another common term for alimony.
  • The laws regarding spousal support vary from state to state.

Synonyms

• Spousal support: Financial aid paid to a former spouse.
• Maintenance: The provision of financial support.

Related Phrases

• To pay alimony: The action of providing the court-ordered support.
  • He is legally obligated to pay alimony until the court order changes.
• To receive/allege alimony: The action of getting or claiming the support.
  • She filed a motion to receive alimony based on her financial need.
• Alimony agreement: The legal document outlining the terms of support.
  • Their divorce was finalized after signing the alimony agreement.

Noun

1. court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after they are separated