Also known as spousal maintenance or alimony.
The Canadian Divorce Act defines a "spousal support order" as:
"... an order requiring a spouse to secure or pay, or to secure and pay, such lump sum or periodic sums, or such lump sum and periodic sums, as the court thinks reasonable for the support of the other spouse."
The criteria for making such an order are the length of time the spouses cohabited, the functions performed by each spouse during cohabitation and any order, agreement or arrangement.
REFERENCES:
Divorce Act, 1985 Revised Statutes of Canada, Chapter 3, (2nd Supplement), published at canlii.org/ca/sta/d-3.4/
Duhaime, Lloyd, Spousal Support Under Canada's Divorce Act, published at duhaime.org/LegalResources/FamilyLaw/tabid/343/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/38/Spousal-Support-Under-Canadas-Divorce-Act.aspx