Alimony

Alimony is a support obligation available to either spouse. The following factors may be considered by the court when awarding alimony:

• Standard of living established during the marriage
• Length of the marriage
• Age, physical and emotional condition of the parties
• Financial resources of each party
• Time needed to obtain education or training to enable either party to obtain appropriate employment
• Contribution of each party to the marriage, including services rendered in homemaking, child care, education, and career building of the other party;
• All sources of income
• Any factors to promote equity between the parties

Effective July 1, 2010, Florida law provides for the following types of alimony:

(a) Bridge the Gap - This type of alimony is intended to assist a party with the transition from being married to being single. It may not exceed two years, terminates on death or remarriage of a party and is non-modifiable in amount or duration.

(b) Rehabilitative - Rehabilitative alimony is designed to assist a party to obtain skills to become self supporting. Rehabilitative alimony requires a specific plan and it may be modifiable due to non compliance with that plan.

(c) Durational - Durational alimony may be awarded when permanent alimony is inappropriate. Durational alimony is ordered for a set period of time, may not exceed the length of the marriage and may be modified in exceptional situations.

(d) Permanent - Permanent alimony may be awarded following a long term or moderate term marriage (a long term is defined as a marriage longer than 17 years; moderate term as greater than 7 years but less than 17 years; and short term as less than 7 years). Permanent alimony may be awarded following short term marriage only in exceptional circumstance. Permanent alimony terminates on the death of either party or remarriage of either party. It may also be modified based on substantial change in circumstances or existence of a supportive relationship. (See child support section for definition of "supportive relationship")