maintenance
The provision of financial support, food, shelter, and clothing, especially as ordered by a court during or after a marriage.
In legal contexts, particularly in British, Canadian, and Australian law, 'maintenance' is the preferred term for what US law calls 'alimony' or 'spousal support'.
Word relationships
- alimony: Alimony is primarily used in the US, whereas maintenance is more common in Commonwealth jurisdictions and can include child support.
- support: Support is a broader term that can apply to any form of assistance, while maintenance has a formal legal and financial connotation.
Commonly confused with
- child support: Maintenance can refer to both spousal and child support, whereas child support is strictly for the children.
Word family
- maintain (verb): To provide financial support for someone.
Collocations
- child maintenance
- spousal maintenance
- pay maintenance
- maintenance order
Example sentences
- "The husband was ordered to pay monthly maintenance to his former wife until she finished her degree." A legal ruling on post-separation support.
- "Under the new act, both parents are responsible for the maintenance of their children." A statutory definition of parental duty.
Memory hook
Think of 'maintaining' a car—you pay to keep it running. In family law, you pay 'maintenance' to keep a household running. Maintenance = Keeping things supported.
When not to use
Do not use maintenance in US legal filings if the specific statutory term is 'alimony' or 'spousal support', though they are conceptually identical.
Fun facts
- In medieval law, 'maintenance' was actually a crime! It referred to an unrelated third party interfering in a lawsuit by providing financial support to one side in exchange for a share of the winnings.
Related words
Explore more words
preserve, preservation, sustain, downtime, precaution, Preventative care
Also appears in
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