FAQs About Ohio Spousal Support (provided by Dennis P. Levin, Attorney at Law) 1.What is "spousal support? " Ohio no longer uses the term "alimony." Instead, Ohio uses the term "spousal support" when referring to an allowance of money or property that is not intended as a division of marital property. Ohio's current law defines spousal support as "the payment or payments to be made to a spouse or former spouse?that is both for sustenance and for support of the spouse or former spouse." 2.When may spousal support be ordered? The court may order spousal support in a divorce action (including temporary spousal support during the time kids family kids family the divorce action is pending), or in an action for support only (i.e. a spouse may request only that the court order spousal support while not requesting that the court terminate the marriage, sometimes referred to as a "legal separation"). Ohio law requires that a married person support his or her spouse. Spousal support is an allowance for nourishment or sustenance which the court may compel one spouse to pay to the other when they are living apart or have been divorced. While spousal support, whether temporary support during the pendency of the divorce action ("spousal support pendente lite," also commonly referred to as "temporary alimony") michigan iowa kids family or permanent (regardless of the actual length of time) is ordinarily granted to the wife, Ohio law provides that in appropriate cases, spousal support may be granted to the husband. An award of spousal support pendente lite is discretionary with the court. The court may include in a temporary spousal support award expenses for such items as housing (i.e. rent or mortgage payment), food, medical expenses, transportation and attorney fees. A temporary spousal support award automatically terminates after a divorce, annulment or legal separation decree has been entered. 3.How is the amount of temporary spousal support determined? With regard to a temporary spousal support award, there california separation kids family is
