In this article, we will explain the differences between alimony, spousal support, and child support and how to determine which will apply to you. This page will help you calculate the figures a New York judge would consider in determining how much should be paid in maintenance and child support.Alimony, or "spousal maintenance" in New York, is a payment that one spouse makes to the other spouse during or after a divorce. Spousal support is an amount of money that the court orders one spouse to pay to the other spouse for his or her reasonable needs. The purpose of alimony is to limit any unfair economic effects of a divorce. Will the court order spousal support in my case? Spousal Maintenance is part art and part science. There is no clear answer to the question "How much will spousal maintenance be? Unlike with child support, there is no formula that will tell you whether or not you will get spousal support or how much you will get. They have been in a spousal relationship for 14 years.