What Is Alimony? Definition & Examples

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.

Christy Bieber, J.D. Contributor

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.

Written By Christy Bieber, J.D. Contributor

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.

Christy Bieber, J.D. Contributor

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.

Contributor Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Brette Sember, J.D. contributor

Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.

Updated: Mar 20, 2023, 2:57am

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What Is Alimony? Definition & Examples

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Table of Contents

What is alimony? This is an important question if you are getting a divorce. That’s because you could be ordered to pay alimony or could be the recipient of it depending on your financial situation.

This guide explains what alimony is, how it works and when it is part of a divorce settlement.

What Is Alimony?

Alimony is money one spouse is required to pay to another. The purpose is to help ensure that a divorce does not cause a drastic decline in quality of living for a lower earning spouse–especially if the couple has been married for a long time and there is a large discrepancy in earning power between the two spouses. Alimony is also sometimes called spousal support or maintenance.

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Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has appeared on Forbes, CNN Underscored Money, Investopedia, Credit Karma, The Balance, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance, among others.

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