The word Alimony comes from the Latin Word alimonia which means nourishment or sustenance. It also comes from Scots Law which is the legal system of Scotland and their concept of aliment. This was a rule of sustenance to assure the wife’s lodging, food, clothing and other necessities of divorce.

In the 1970s, the United States Supreme court ruled against gender bias in alimony awards. You may remember some high profile divorces, where women such as Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson etc., have paid multimillion dollar settlements in lieu of alimony to their ex-husbands.

Alimony is not child support. Child support is paid by one parent to the custodial parent Read More