Spousal support (also known as alimony) is a court ordered payment from one spouse or domestic partner to help cover the other's monthly expenses. Will you pay or receive spousal support as part of your California divorce?I am attorney Michael E. Finein in Oakland. We help people across the Bay Area with support and all other divorce-related issues. Spousal support is a court-ordered payment someone receives from or gives to their ex-spouse during their divorce, after it's finalized, or both. There are many factors that a Judge will consider in deciding whether or not to award you any alimony and what that amount might be. Temporary spousal support is a relatively simple formula that looks at income and child support obligations of the party required to pay. In California, temporary spousal support can be awarded during divorce proceedings, with permanent support determined at the end of the divorce. In California, alimony can be awarded on a temporary basis while the divorce is pending or on a permanent basis after the divorce is finalized. If the order is only to pay spousal support, your employer sends the money directly to your spouse.