Family Law

Alimony

Alimony is commonly described as financial support provided by one spouse to another, during and after a dissolution of marriage. Florida allows for either a husband or wife to be eligible to receive alimony.

In simple terms, under Florida law, alimony is based on one party’s financial need and the other party’s ability to pay. There are several different types of alimony under Florida law, including but not limited to:

Permanent

As of 2023, permanent alimony awards no longer exist in the state of Florida.

Durational

This type of alimony is generally awarded in short or moderate term marriages to afford the recipient with financial support during a set period of time. The length of the award may not be greater than the length of the marriage.

Rehabilitative

This type of alimony is given to support the other spouse’s ability to earn an education or training for employment. This gives the receiving spouse the ability to become self-sufficient. This must be defined in a plan as well as the amounts needed.

Bridge-the-Gap

This kind of alimony is to assist a party in the transition from married to single life. This kind of alimony will only last up to two years.

Temporary

This kind of alimony is a non-permanent award throughout the divorce proceedings.

Alimony awards are determined by several factors, including but not limited to, the length of the marriage and each party’s contribution to the marriage.

As of 2023, Florida defines short-term marriages as a marriage that lasts less than ten years. Moderate-term marriages are defined as lasting more than ten years but less than twenty years, and a long-term marriage is any marriage lasting more than twenty years. As it pertains to durational alimony, awards may not exceed more than 50% of the years of the marriage for short-term marriages, 60% of the years for moderate-term marriages, and 75% of the years for long-term marriages.

Alimony amounts are generally determined by a court unless otherwise agreed to outside of court. These amounts may be paid in periodic payments or in a lump sum payment. However, alimony awards are case-specific and dependent upon the facts of your individual circumstances. Please contact our office to set up a consultation to better assess your case.