Spousal support cases are started with a spousal support petition in Family Court. There is no filing fee in Family Court.A spouse can file a petition in New York Family Court for the other spouse to pay spousal support even if they have not yet filed for divorce. Spousal support is an amount of money that the court orders one spouse to pay to the other spouse for his or her reasonable needs. This person will have to fill out an affidavit of service and sign it in front of a notary public. In New York State, a married person may file a petition in Family Court seeking spousal support from a current husband or wife. We help individuals seeking to obtain spousal support, as well as those who have been ordered to pay. (the respondent) and Support. New York courts use standardized guidelines to arrive at a suggested amount of spousal maintenance. Judges can deviate from the amount when appropriate.