A lump-sum payment intended to compensate, as far as possible, the disparity in everyday life conditions created by the breakdown of the marriage between the divorced spouses. Payment is made either in the form of a sum of money, by the allocation of property or by a temporary or lifetime right of use, habitation or usufruct.
In some cases, where the creditor’s age or state of health prevents them from providing for their own needs, the judge may award compensation in the form of a life annuity.