Alimony Pendente Lite (APL)

Alimony pendente lite (APL) is alimony pending litigation. It is money paid to a dependent spouse after the divorce complaint has been filed with the court. APL is continued until the divorce decree is finalized and all other issues of property distribution are resolved, generally through a court action.

Alimony pendente lite (APL) is used to allow both spouses the means to hire a divorce lawyer and support themselves while a divorce is in progress. It allows both spouses to remain on "equal financial footing" during the divorce process. Alimony pendente lite (APL) may be awarded even if one spouse has abandoned the other, committed adultery or has committed another action which can lead to a fault based divorce.