What is maintenance? Who pays it and who gets it?

Maintenance used to be called alimony or spousal support. There is no set formula in Illinois regarding who gets maintenance or how much. The Court will look at factors such as the length of marriage, the amount of time a spouse has been out of the workforce, disparities in the parties’ abilities to earn income, and retraining required to enable a spouse to reenter the workforce. Maintenance can be temporary, rehabilitative, reviewable or permanent. Generally a spouse’s obligation to pay maintenance terminates at retirement age. The Court’s goal is to allow both parties to maintain a similar standard of living to that which they enjoyed during their marriage.