alimony
When a marriage ends in divorce, one spouse may receive monetary support from the other. Oftentimes, the receiving spouse must be unable to support themselves without the help of their ex-spouse. Depending on the state, support may be based on a series of factors, such as the age of the parties, the length of the marriage, degrees earned (if any) etc. Payments may be in one lumps sum, or in a series of monthly payments. Duration of alimony is often based on the length of the marriage; in other words, the longer the marriage, the longer the duration of alimony payments.
Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
The money paid by one ex-spouse to the other for support under the terms of a court order or settlement agreement following a divorce. Except in marriages of long duration (ten years or more) or in the case of an ailing spouse, alimony usually lasts for a set period, with the expectation that the recipient spouse will become self-supporting. Alimony is also called "spousal support" or "maintenance."
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:11 pm
