Section 8.001 Definitions:

• Maintenance: “An award in a suit for dissolution of a marriage of period payments from the future income of one spouse for the support of the other spouse.” Many people might know maintenance as spousal support. Maintenance is meant to allow both spouses to keep the standard of living established during the marriage after the divorce finalizes.
• Notice of application for a writ of withholding: “The document delivered to an obligor and filed with the court as required by this chapter for the nonjudicial determination of arrears and initiation of withholding for spousal maintenance.” The official court document that notifies your ex-spouse that a portion of their wages will be forcefully withheld from them and giving to you after they have intentionally not paid maintenance or child support that was ordered by the court.
• Obligee: “A person entitled to receive payments under the terms of an order for spousal maintenance.” If your ex-spouse must pay you spousal maintenance, you are the obligee.
• Obligor: “A person required to make periodic payments under the terms of an order for spousal maintenance.” On the other hand, if you must pay your ex-spouse spousal maintenance, you are the obligor.
• Writ of withholding: “The document issued by the clerk of a court and delivered to an employer, directing that earnings be withheld for payment of spousal maintenance as provided by this chapter.” While the notice of application is given to your ex-spouse when their wages will be garnished for spousal maintenance payments, the actual writ of withholding itself is given to their employer.