Alimony

Alimony is a court-ordered payment made by one spouse to the other during or after a divorce.  There are several types of alimony in Florida including: temporary alimony, bridge-the-gap alimony, rehabilitative alimony, durational alimony, and permanent alimony. Whether alimony may be awarded, and what type of alimony may be awarded, vary according to each couple’s circumstances.

• When awarding alimony, the Court will consider the parties’ circumstances to determine whether alimony should be awarded, they type and amount of alimony that is awarded, and the duration of the award. The Court considers factors such as the couple’s standard of living, the length of the marriage, the age, physical and emotional condition of the spouses; each spouse's earning capacity, educational level, vocational skills, and employability; both spouse's contributions to the marriage, including homemaking, childcare, education, and career-building of the other spouse; whether either spouse will have parental responsibilities to minor children; the tax consequences of alimony, if any, to both spouses; all sources of income to both spouses, including income available through investments, and any other factor the court deems necessary to create a fair alimony award.

In cases where a former spouse fails to pay court-ordered alimony, court action may be required to enforce the support obligation. A former spouse can also seek to modify the current alimony obligation if there is a change in circumstance of either of the parties’ financial situation.