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. Having a spouse with a serious medical condition can be a source of stress.Some marriages cannot weather the pressure of a serious illness. In general, California expects a dependent spouse to become selfsupporting, but the law recognizes the fact that this is not always possible. You need to file a Post Judgment Request for Modification seeking an upward modification of your spousal support in light of your disability. To find out how alimony might affect your California divorce, or to modify an existing spousal support agreement, call The Law Offices of Steven E. The first thing to understand is that most divorces do not result in spousal support of any kind, especially if the marriage lasted only a few years or fewer. Spousal support, also called alimony, is the payment that a court may order one spouse to pay another spouse when a couple gets divorced or separated. You're right, California law protects a veteran's VA disability compensation from being divided as marital property during a divorce. SSDI benefits are considered separate property.