Is alimony considered a form of child support?

No, alimony is not considered a form of child support. Alimony is a form of financial support paid by one former spouse to the other after a divorce or legal separation. It is legally enforceable and typically determined in court by a judge. The purpose of alimony is to assist one former spouse in maintaining a lifestyle close to what they had when still married. In Delaware, alimony or spousal support is determined by looking at a variety of factors, such as the marital standard of living, the length of the marriage, the age and health of each spouse, the earning ability of each spouse, and the contributions made by either spouse to the marriage. Alimony payments are usually paid until the former spouse receiving the alimony is able to become self-supporting or until the court modifies or terminates the alimony order. On the other hand, child support is a payment from one parent to the other to help pay for the expenses associated with raising a child, including food, clothes, educational expenses, and medical expenses. Instead of being determined by each former spouse’s contributions to the marriage, child support is typically based on each parent’s income and the number of overnight days the child spends with each parent. In summary, alimony is a form of financial support paid from one former spouse to the other while child support is a payment from one parent to the other to help pay for the expenses associated with raising a child. Although both are related to the dissolution of a marriage, they are two completely distinct types of legal support.

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Is alimony considered a form of child support?

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