In California, alimony is usually not granted on a permanent basis. Instead, it is used as a method for ensuring that both spouses have the ability to maintain a reasonable standard of living while the payee builds a strong financial foundation. Self sufficiency is the goal. For short term marriages (less than 10 years) alimony often lasts for half the length of the marriage. However, each case is reviewed individually to determine a fair outcome. If there are minor children involved and one parent needs to be available as a primary caregiver, child support and alimony may be used together to provide adequately for the family. However, if spousal support is not paid as ordered, the payee cannot enlist child support enforcement agencies to collect it. A spouse can hire a collection agency to pursue the debt or take the payer back to civil court.