Couple Is Married There is no filing fee in Family Court. Child support and spousal support can be filed in the same petition.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. The purpose of a maintenance award is to help the receiving spouse become financially independent after a divorce. New York courts use standardized guidelines to arrive at a suggested amount of spousal maintenance. Judges can deviate from the amount when appropriate. If the question is whether a spouse can waive his or her duty or obligation to pay spousal support, the answer is no. Learn how to terminate alimony due to death, remarriage of the defendant's spouse, or cohabitation. King Law helps you understand your rights. To start your case, go to a Family Court clerk and ask them to help you with a "Spousal Support Petition.