A court can order one spouse to make monthly payments of support to the other spouse when a couple legally separates or files for a dissolution.  These payments are known as spousal support. These monthly payments used to be referred to as “alimony.”  To begin a spousal support order, one of the following cases must be filed: an annulment, a dissolution, a legal separation or a domestic violence restraining order.

The state of California is a “no fault” state, which means that a spouse does not have to prove the other spouse did something wrong. Moreover, it is not necessary for both spouses to agree to end a marriage.The first spouse to file a Petition for dissolution is called the “Petitioner,” and the other spouse is then the “Respondent.”  Once the petition to commence a dissolution is filed, the other spouse has thirty days after he or she is served to file their response. The respondent cannot stop a dissolution process even if he or she does not agree or want a dissolution.