The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage of Act sets out three different types of maintenance: fixed-term, reviewable, and indefinite. Spousal maintenance, also called alimony or spousal support, is the transfer of money from one former spouse to the other on an ongoing basis - usually monthly.Download and complete Divorce, Child Support, and Maintenance forms from the Illinois Office of the Courts. What is maintenance? Maintenance (alimony) is court ordered financial support that one spouse pays to the other in the event of a divorce. Alimony, spousal support and maintenance all refer to the same thing. Permanent maintenance refers to the obligation of one spouse to support the other for life. A maintenance agreement outlines the steps one party will undertake to insure the upkeep, repair, serviceability of another party's property. In Illinois alimony is called maintenance. In 2017, the Illinois Legislature passed House Bill 2537, which significantly changed how spousal maintenance is calculated in the state.