Alimony & Spousal Support

Alimony is a form of financial support paid by one spouse to another. Marriage alone does not mean you are entitled to alimony. The crux of the court's inquiry in determining whether alimony is appropriate is whether one spouse needs financial support and whether the other spouse can provide such financial support. Trust the team at Beaches Family Law, P.A. to help you get the support you deserve.

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Factors Considered in Spousal Support

Important factors that determine the amount and duration of spousal support in Florida are:

  • Length of the marriage 
  • Disparity of the couple’s incomes 
  • Presence of children
  • Role of each person during the marriage or common law relationship
  • Other factors such as the parties’ ages, education, skills, and standard of living during the marriage

Types of Alimony

In Florida, a judge may grant several different types of alimony in a divorce case: bridge-the-gap alimony, rehabilitative alimony, durational alimony, and permanent alimony. There is a rebuttable presumption that a short-term marriage is a marriage with a duration of less than 7 years, a moderate-term marriage is a marriage between 7 and 17 years, and a long-term marriage is a marriage with a duration of 17 years or greater. The length of a marriage is the period from the date of marriage until the date of filing an action for dissolution of marriage. The Court may order these alimony payments in a lump sum, periodic payments, or both.

Bridge-the-Gap Alimony 

This type of alimony can be awarded to allow one party to transition from being married to being single and is designed to assist a spouse with legitimate identifiable short term needs. The length of a Bridge-the-Gap alimony award may not exceed 2 years.

Rehabilitative Alimony

This form of alimony may be awarded to assist a party in establishing the capacity for self-support through education, training, work experience, employment skills or credentials. There must be a specific plan in order for it to be awarded.

Durational Alimony

Durational alimony is alimony that is awarded for a certain length of time, as deemed appropriate by the court, but cannot exceed the length of the marriage.

Permanent Alimony

Permanent alimony may be awarded to provide for the needs and necessities of life as they were established during the marriage to a spouse who lacks the financial ability to meet his or her needs and expenses. Permanent alimony is most likely to be granted in a marriage that lasted 17 years or longer.

Get the Help You Deserve

At Beaches Family Law, P.A., we have represented clients that have received alimony and clients that have been the payor of alimony. We understand the alimony argument from all angles and can assist you with formulating an alimony strategy no matter what side of the coin you are on.

Call us today at
(904) 365-9793!

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