Alimony pendente lite (APL) is a monthly spousal support payment mandated by a court to be paid by one spouse to another while their divorce is in progress. The principle behind APL is to provide support to a financially dependent spouse so that they can maintain their standard of living until the divorce is finalized.
Alimony pendente lite is sometimes referred to as temporary alimony.
Pendente lite is a Latin term that means "pending legislation." As the name suggests, it is a temporary alimony to a financially dependent spouse until the divorce proceedings are concluded. During a divorce, the financial condition of the involved individuals often changes. This sometimes makes the financially dependent spouse vulnerable to accepting any settlement that the other spouse offers. To reduce this inequality, courts mandate a temporary alimony so that the dependent spouse can maintain their standard of living and can also pay for the litigation costs.