The Implication of Florida Alimony Laws to Divorcing Spouses

Spousal support is a payment ordered by the court from one spouse to another during or after the divorce. Temporary support gets granted to a spouse who needs financial assistance during a protracted divorce. The requesting spouse should demonstrate that they need support and show that the other spouse has the means to make the payments. Low-income earning spouses can rely on a temporary support to remain stable during a lengthy divorce. The support gets terminated after marriage dissolution. Bridge-the-gap support is rare in other states except for Florida. The payments made help the recipient to meet short-term needs as they transition to singlehood. A needy spouse could use the money to pay bills and living expenses as they wait to get a full-time employment or for an asset to sell. There is a time limit for bridge-the-gap support. The payments end if the beneficiary remarries or the spouse making payments dies.

Rehabilitative support is common in Florida. It gets awarded if the beneficiary can become stable given monetary support and time to acquire education, work experience, training, or redevelop skills to enter the job market. Spouses are required to create a defined and specific rehabilitative plan before the court awards this support. Durational support and rehabilitative support are similar except that no rehabilitative plan is needed in this case. Durational support is appropriate for a spouse who needs assistance for a given time after divorce. It is often reserved for spouses who don’t meet the requirements for permanent support. The support awarded should not last for a time exceeding the duration of the marriage. Follow us at www.floridadivorce.com/34-divorce-topics/alimony-and-florida-divorce-law for more insights about Florida alimony laws.

Permanent support is quite rare. It is reserved for spouses who need financial help and cannot become self-sufficient any time soon. It is often reserved for long-term marriages. The requesting spouse should meet the statutory requirements before permanent support gets granted. Spouses in moderate-term marriages can request permanent support provided there is compelling evidence in support. Permanent support can also be awarded for short-term marriage under exceptional circumstances. The court should find that there is no other spousal support category that is reasonable and fair before awarding permanent support.