Unlike child support, spousal maintenance, also known as - alimony -, is not automatic. It must be a request made before the court, and the judge and parties must agree to it. Now, there are two types of spousal maintenance a lesser-income-earning spouse may request. They are statutory maintenance and contractual, non-modifiable maintenance. The higher-income-earning spouse pays statutory maintenance before the divorce is finalized, such as during a legal separation or as you two are going through the divorce process. This type is temporary. You see, it only lasts for a certain percentage of the length of your marriage, and Colorado laws cap the length of payment at 50%.