Alimony or spousal maintenance is not a part of every divorce. The Coral Springs lawyers at the Heller & Heller, P.A., law firm in Coral Springs can explain how the court makes alimony decisions and whether it is likely to be considered in your divorce.
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Alimony is based on one spouse’s need for spousal support and the other spouse’s ability to pay and is decided on a case-by-case basis. When one spouse has been financially dependent in a long-term marriage, the judge is more likely to award spousal maintenance. Recently, the Florida Legislature set out new guidelines that lay out what is typically considered a short-term, moderate-term or long-term marriage:
- Short-term: marriages less than seven years
- Moderate-term: marriages greater than seven but less than 17 years
- Long-term: marriages greater than 17 years
What Is Temporary Or Rehabilitative Alimony?
Some spouses need support on a short-term basis to give them time to adjust to life after divorce. The length of this can vary, depending on the need. It might be needed for education or retraining, or might simply be a short-term bridge to cover expenses during the first year after a divorce.
What Is Bridge-The-Gap Alimony?
Especially when there is a great income disparity between parties, bridge-the-gap alimony allows a spouse to get back on their feet.
What Is Durational Alimony?
This applies to situations when other types of alimony are not appropriate. Most commonly, moderate-term marriages fall under this category.
What About Long-Term Or Permanent Alimony?
In a long-term marriage where one spouse was financially dependent, spousal maintenance may be awarded permanently — or until the spouse receiving the support remarries. In both cases — short-term and long-term — the judge will consider the other spouse’s ability to pay.
Contact Your Lawyer About Your Rights and Obligations
Whether you need spousal maintenance or you are the spouse who might be asked to pay, you need to know your rights. Alimony may be affected by other factors such as property division. After years of paying or if incomes change, you may want to ask the court about modifications to the alimony order.
We Can Help With Your Alimony In Florida
If you want a divorce lawyer who is easy to talk to, who plans a legal strategy based on your objectives, and who has a sincere concern for the results as well as the costs, we look forward to talking with you. Contact our Coral Springs office to talk to an attorney.