B. Robert Farzad

California has a clear public policy that perpetrators of domestic violence, those found to have committed it, should not, under certain circumstances, receive spousal support. That is because California law does not want an abused spouse to finance the abuser's lifestyle. One of the biggest considerations is whether the domestic violence is documented or, even more important if a court has made a finding of domestic violence. The domestic violence issues are beyond the scope of this page, but what you should take away is that temporary support for a domestic violence perpetrator, even if he or she is a significant lower income earner, is not automatic. These issues can become complex and contentious. The other code sections we cited above should be self-explanatory. A temporary spousal support order does not mean either spouse is stuck with that number by the time the case gets to the judgment phase. The court cannot even rely on the computer program or rely much on the temporary order when it determines the final order. If there are facts to justify the modification, either spouse may seek a modification of the temporary order.