Also called alimony or spousal maintenance, spousal support is court-ordered payments that are intended to help a dependent spouse get back on their feet or ease financial hardship.

Child support tends to get tricky. There’s a formula involved, but it accounts for many factors. Of course, the income of both parents, as well as level of need, figure prominently into the final amount. Like most court orders, once in place, child support is difficult to modify, though it …