What is spousal support (alimony), am I entitled to receive it, and for how long?

This is typically the most common question asked by people. In short, the Court has wide discretion to order spousal support, including the duration of the payments. Unlike child support, however, there is no "guideline" spousal support in the State of California (although the Court may use DissoMaster™ or Xspouse™ to determine temporary spousal support). Various factors are used by the Court to determine the amount, duration, and under what circumstances spousal support should be paid. The rules regarding the duration of "permanent" spousal support change depending upon whether or not the marriage is of short duration (under 10 years), or is "long term" (10 years or more).

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