Linda: What a spouse gets/doesn't get depends on many factors, i.e., the length of marriage, employability and age of the spouse, whether or not the person was a stay at home mom for many years and the health status of each and the alimony laws of the State. There was a huge difference in the health, income, employability with me and my ex and I'd stayed home for ten of the 21 yrs. I got alimony for a couple of years and worked very part time due to health issues until my Dads Estate kicked in. A lot of alimony is restorative in nature to help the spouse get back on his or her feet and it is temporary. It seems as though with foreclosure there is a cash flow problem somewhere. My ex was laid off but paid all the ordinary bills and took me to a food warehouse once before the court ordered alimony. If you have a good job, you may not get alimony. The laws are changing. Check the laws on this site and call an Attorney or your nearest Bar Association or Legal Aid if you cannot afford a Lawyer. If you are getting alimony, a divorce agreement will be written by an attorney with alimony and many other things mentioned. Try cutting your expenses in the following ways: Food Pantry or discount or food warehouse and shop at Thrift Shops. Look into cutting back your cable t.v. service, if applicable, cut back to one phone, etc. My ex gave me my first alimony check at Christmas so I did not know what it was (gift?)