After a divorce is filed by one party, the party who is a homemaker, unemployed or earns less than their spouse, are entitled to alimony pendente lite through the entry of a divorce decree. The APL award is to help equalize the parties' incomes and pay their household expenses and legal fees through the divorce process.

In long-term marriages where there is a disparity of income between the parties and the asset division of the marital estate is insufficient to meet a spouse's needs, alimony is awarded after the decree in divorce for a period of years to effectuate economic justice between the former married parties.