After a divorce, alimony may be ordered by the court. This means one spouse is required to pay the other ongoing spousal support. This type of support payment is meant to equalize the financial circumstances of the divorcing couple. The courts sometimes choose to award spousal support when simple distribution of current property and assets would not be financially fair. Such a condition might arise if one spouse supported the other in achieving an educational degree that will provide a high earning potential over time. Or, one spouse may have sacrificed career advancement to stay home and care for minor children. Many states specify an end date to these payments (such as a few years after the divorce). Alimony is usually terminated if the payee remarries. All states currently have the option to award spousal support, but the courts have wide discretion as to when it applies.