Alimony is the money one spouse may pay another upon divorce according to a court-sanctioned agreement or a court order. Some people may call this alimony or spousal maintenance.The amount and duration of the maintenance are defined in the judgment of divorce. Family Court has special clerks to help people fill out the support petition and file the case. It does not cost any money to start a case in Family Court. Spousal support cases are started with a spousal support petition in Family Court. There is no filing fee in Family Court. We help individuals seeking to obtain spousal support, as well as those who have been ordered to pay. Usually, the amount is calculated using a pre-set formula, as the guideline, which is contained in the Domestic Relations Law. When determining alimony in New York, the Bronx judge must first use a statutory calculation that compares the incomes of the two parties.