ALIMONY ( Lat. alinwnia, alimonium, nour ishment, sustenance, from aloe, to feed, nour ish). In English and American law, the allow ance which a married woman is entitled to re ceive out of her husband's estate by decree or or der of the court on judicial separation or divorce a meow et thoro. By Scotch legal writers the term is sometimes used as synonymous with aliment. In the United States jurisdiction with regard to alimony is conferred, in gen eral, by statute on courts of equity. Ali mony is of two sorts: pendent(' life, and per manent. The object of the first is to en able a wife to carry on litigation with her hus band, by securing her support during the pen dency of suit. Should she have sufficient means of her own, no allowance would be made; the amount is fixed at the discretion of the court, and may be changed by the same authority. Per manent alimony is a periodical allowance from a husband decreed to a wife as the result of litiga tion in her favor. If the result be against her,
no allowance is made. The amount varies with the means of the husband and the needs and position of the wife, but is usually from a third to one-half of his income, and is subject to change from time to time. as the court finds cir cumstances to The court may enforce its decree by contempt proceedings, and can pre vent a husband from leaving the State if he means thereby to avoid payment. In some States alimony becomes a lien on the husband's real estate, or the court may compel him to give se curity for its prompt payment; or. in proper eases, the husband moray be restrained by injunc tion from so disposing of his property as to place it beyond the reach of the court. See DIVORCE.