Equitable Distribution is the way your marital property is divided up. Marital property comes in two categories: assets and liabilities. It's called "equitable" because each party is supposed to get an equal value of assets and liabilities. This leaves you and your spouse with the same net worth after divorce.

Alimony is a series of payments made by one spouse to another for a set value and period. Its purpose is to give the less affluent spouse a chance to adjust to their new lifestyle.

Child support is defined as the long-term payments one parent makes to another for childcare costs. Unlike alimony, it is almost entirely based on an objective mathematical calculation. There is little wiggle room. Also, unlike alimony, the duration doesn't depend on the marriage's length. Instead, it is based on the ages of the children.