Spousal support is the one of the most difficult issues in a separation or divorce.

There is some guidance available to assist in determining how much, and for how long, spousal support should be paid by one spouse for the benefit of the other.

This guidance is in the form of the Spousal Support Guidelines, which unlike the Child Support Guidelines, are not law, but truly advisory only.

Whether there should be any spousal support order at all is still decided in reference to the applicable legislation, the Family Relations Act or the Divorce Act, with particular attention to the precedents, (decisions in other cases with similar facts), established by the Court over the years.