Courts may award spousal support to either spouse upon the request of either party in an action for divorce or legal separation. Spousal support can be negotiated between spouses outside of court, either through mediation or collaborative divorce processes.Lawyer Helena Birt explains how both common law and legally married couples may have entitlement to spousal support in Ontario ,Canada. The court considers 3 key questions when it decides if you or your spouse should get spousal support. How long were you married? In Ontario, the law states that commonlaw couples may qualify for spousal support, so long as they satisfy the legislative definition of the term 'spouse'. Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance spousal support (U. If you're seeking spousal support and not a divorce, you can file a petition for spousal support in court. img. logo. Family Lawyer: AttorneyExpert. Like the others said, The direct answer is probably yes, for a while.