Does the State of Texas have court-ordered alimony?
Yes, but it is referred to differently depending on whether it is ordered while a divorce is pending which is temporary spousal support, or if the support is court-ordered in a divorce decree which is “court ordered spousal maintenance,” or if the support is agreed upon by the parties as part of the terms of a final court order, which is called “contractual alimony.” The parties can also agree on the imposition of Court ordered maintenance. “Alimony” is spousal support, that is, funds paid by one spouse to and for the support of the other spouse. Texas enacted a new Spousal Maintenance Statute effective only for actions filed after September 1, 1995 which only applies if the parties were married over 10 years or if the spouse from whom maintenance is sought was convicted of, or received deferred adjudication probation for a criminal offense that constitutes family violence within two years before the divorce is filed or which occurs during the pendency of the divorce suit. This spousal
