Is spousal maintenance always paid by a husband to a wife?

No one is automatically entitled to spousal maintenance. It is a gender-neutral payment that can be made by either spouse to their former spouse as part of a divorce. The decision to pay spousal maintenance is based on the financial needs of the receiver, and the paying spouse’s ability to pay. The purpose of spousal maintenance is to help the recipient spouse maintain a similar standard of living to that enjoyed during the marriage. Spousal maintenance automatically stops when the receiver dies or remarries.