When can spousal support and child support begin?

Even if you’re mad about divorce, you should be arranging to pay or receive temporary support right after the separation, no matter whether you didn’t ask for the divorce or don’t even want it. Spousal support and child support can begin any time, but for spousal support to be deductible by the payer and taxable to the recipient, it has to be pursuant to a finalized legal separation document or finalized divorce judgment. Child support isn’t taxable or deductible either way, so there really are no additional factors to consider when deciding the point to start paying child support.