Title VI Chapter 61.08 in the Florida Statues details alimony awarded in a divorce, including the types of alimony and the factors the court takes into consideration when awarding alimony. An online copy of this statue can be found here.
In Florida there are four different types of alimony: bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational or permanent.
Bridge-the-gap alimony may be awarded to provide monetary support to a party to ease their transition from being married to single and is designed to help the receiving party with legitimate short-term needs and may not exceed two years.
Rehabilitative alimony may be awarded to assist the receiving party in their efforts to become self-supportive, such as if the party went back to school, was acquiring training for work or developing employment skills and credentials. Rehabilitative alimony requires a specific plan that details how the receiving party will use the alimony awarded to acquire training and education to become financially independent.
Durational alimony is awarded for short or moderate duration marriages or if the long-term marriage does not require permanent alimony. A short duration marriage is defined by the State of Florida as less than 7 years, a moderate duration marriage lasts between 7 and 17 years and a long duration marriage lasts 17 years or more.
Permanent alimony is the fourth and final type of alimony and is typically awarded to long or moderate duration marriages, with occasional exceptions for short duration marriages. Permanent alimony is awarded to provide for basic life and everyday needs as they were established during the marriage for the receiving party. To mandate permanent alimony the court must find that no other form of alimony is reasonable under the circumstances of the parties.
When considering awarding alimony the court will account for several factors, including but not limited to:
- The standard of living established during the marriage
- The duration of the marriage
- The contribution of each party in the marriage including but not limited to “services rendered in homemaking, child care, education and career building of the other party”
- The court also reserves the right to take adultery into consideration when awarding alimony.
The issue of alimony is an intricate and convoluted part of the divorce process and should not be handled without an attorney. If you or someone you know is having issues with alimony or any other aspect of the divorce process Platt Hopwood Attorneys at Law, PLLC is here to help. We offer free hour-long consultations and will listen to your case as what it is, a unique case that can change your life. Call our office today to schedule your free consultation at (321) 725-3425, our experienced attorneys will not disappoint.
