What is the difference between a fixed-term and an indefinite spousal support order?

A fixed-term (time-limited) spousal support order specifies an end date. It tells the recipient that support will be paid for a set period — say, three years — after which it ends automatically unless the recipient applies to extend it by showing that circumstances warrant it.

Fixed-term orders are typical for shorter marriages, cases where both spouses are relatively young and employable, and situations where the recipient has a clear path to self-sufficiency within a foreseeable period. They send a signal that the recipient is expected to use the support period to retrain, re-enter the workforce, or otherwise close the income gap.

An indefinite order has no built-in end date. It continues until one party applies to vary or terminate it, or until a triggering event in the order itself occurs (such as remarriage). Indefinite does not mean permanent — it simply means the court is not setting a clock. Indefinite orders are more common in long marriages, where the recipient is older, where there are lasting barriers to employment, or where the full picture of self-sufficiency is genuinely uncertain.

Either type of order can be varied if circumstances change materially. The difference is mainly about who bears the burden of initiating a review.