What is the purpose of spousal support?

[25] The purpose of any order of spousal support is to alleviate any economic hardship occasioned to one spouse or the other as a result of the breakdown of the marriage. See Moge v. Moge 1992 CanLII 25 (SCC), [1992] 3 S. C. R. 813. Married or co-habiting couples form an economic unit with the purpose of enabling them to attain their goals and dreams. These goals may include the raising of a family, the adoption of a certain lifestyle or the accumulation of assets. Whatever the goal, the breakdown of the marital unit usually has a more negative economic effect on one spouse than the other. The purpose of spousal support is to attempt to apportion the economic effects of the marriage breakdown between the parties.