Spousal Support
or Alimony

Spousal Support or Alimony

In Florida, spousal support or maintenance is called alimony and usually consists of court ordered payments from one spouse to the other.  There are different types of alimony that a court can award in the State of Florida including:

• Temporary: awarded during the divorce proceedings to assist one party financially until a permanent court order or agreement can be made.
• Bridge-the-gap: awarded to assist a party financially on a short-term basis to transition from married life to single life.
• Rehabilitative: awarded to assist a party to establish the ability to support themselves through education, training, or work experience.
• Durational: awarded to provide a party with economic assistance for a set period of time when permanent alimony is not appropriate.
• Permanent: awarded in long term marriages when a party lacks the ability to meet their own financial needs and necessities of life following a dissolution of marriage.

There is no set formula to determine how much alimony a spouse will pay or receive.  Instead, the court must first determine if one spouse has an actual financial need for alimony and the other spouse has the ability to pay alimony.  Next, the court must look at several factors to determine the type of alimony to award and the amount.  These factors include:

• The standard of living during the marriage.
• The duration of the marriage.
• The age and mental and/or physical health of both parties.
• The financial resources of each party and all sources of income available to either party.
• The earning capacities, educational levels, vocational skills, and employability of the parties.

Call today to set up a consultation with Attorney Alyssa Vanstone to discuss the facts of your case and any potential alimony or spousal support issues.