ABA Family Legal Guide

Family Law

3.4 Separation, Annulment, and Divorce

Alimony/Maintenance

What is rehabilitative support?

A common type of spousal support is rehabilitative support. It is intended to provide a chance for education or job training so that a spouse who was financially dependent or disadvantaged during marriage can become self-supporting. Rehabilitative support is designed to help make up for opportunities lost by a spouse who left a job (or did not pursue a career) in order to help the other spouse's career or to assume family duties. It may also be awarded to a spouse who worked outside the home during the marriage, but sacrificed his or her career development because of family priorities. Rehabilitative support is usually only awarded for a limited time, such as one to five years.