Cheating does not affect spousal support awards in California. In this state, a dependent spouse can have a one night stand or a full-blown affair.Marital misconduct can still influence your divorce settlement when it comes to alimony, child custody, division of property, and other critical aspects. 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. Boyd Law office in Sacramento has some of the most experienced alimony lawyers in the state of California. This is only true, however, if he has sufficient income to pay spousal support. It doesn't matter if he cheated. Wondering if cheating affects alimony in California? Get clarity on the impact of infidelity on spousal support with expert legal advice. In a divorce or legal separation proceeding, a judge may order one spouse to pay the other alimony or spousal support as part of a judgment.