In New York, a spouse may request alimony or spousal maintenance payments to support themselves during a divorce and/or after the divorce is finalized. Not everyone qualifies to receive alimony, and those seeking to receive financial support from the other spouse should be ready to support their request with evidence explaining why the support payments are needed. Alimony payments are made by the higher-earning spouse and are meant to cover the basic living necessities of the other spouse until that person can have the means to earn their own income independently.