A payment from one spouse to the other spouse upon divorce or separation. The original term “alimony” arose from the olden days, when a man would need to pay his ex-wife a certain amount of money to maintain her lifestyle upon divorce (because women seldom were allowed to work) Alimony, or in some states as they are now called, spousal support, or spousal maintenance statutes differ per state. Each state statute can define spousal support calculations pursuant to that state’s statute. Make sure to check your state statute for specifics!

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Separate property