Maintenance or alimony is another issue to consider. Maintenance may be awarded if the Court finds that a spouse lacks sufficient property to provide for his or her reasonable needs and is unable to support himself or herself through appropriate employment or is the custodian of a child whose condition makes it inappropriate for the spouse to seek employment out of the home.  Maintenance may be awarded on a temporary basis until the final orders hearing.  A court can also order long-term alimony awards if the lower-earning or unemployed spouse can prove that they need it (for example, if they don’t have the job skills or are caring for very young children).  Many considerations go into a decision on alimony, including the supported spouse’s age, health, financial resources, ability to earn and income capacity, and the ability for the paying spouse.  A judge may utilize a statutory formula for determining the amount of maintenance that looks at the income of the parties and the length of the marriage