Explaining Alimony in Florida

The state of Florida does not have a set standard for alimony. Unlike some states, when you get a divorce, there is no guarantee that you will either receive alimony or that you won't. It is entirely up to the Judge, whether or not to award alimony in a divorce. No two cases are alike, and every outcome is different when a Judge considers awarding alimony to either spouse in a divorce. When a Judge is making the determination, whether or not to award alimony, the Judge will take a number of factors into consideration including:

• The duration of the marriage
• The age, health and mental state of both spouses
• The standard of living established during the marriage
• The financial resources available to both spouses
• The contribution of each spouse to the marriage, including homemaking, child care, education, training or career building towards the other party
• All sources of income available to each spouse
• Marital assets, non-marital assets and debts carried by each party
• Where applicable, the time needed in order for one party to acquire the training or education needed in order to find appropriate employment

The Different Types of Alimony

There are four types of alimony; they are periodic, lump-sum,  permanent and rehabilitative . Periodic alimony is where one receives regular payments at specific times (i.e. $500 per month or $100 per week) for a specific amount of time.

Lump-sum is a one-time lump sum payment when the divorce is finalized. However, in some cases a lump sum payment may involve property division, in which case it would affect tax status. If a lump sum applies to your divorce, it's important that you seek the advice of a family law attorney, who can go over the laws with you and protect your interests.

Permanent maintenance refers to the making of alimony payments for the rest of the payee's life, which are made on a regular basis, such as monthly or weekly. Rehabilitative alimony is paid for the purpose of rehabilitating the other spouse, while they go back to school or find employment, in other words it helps that spouse get back on their own two feet.

Divorce Lawyer in Tampa

If you are getting a divorce, a Tampa divorce attorney from Givens Divorce Law Group can help you with every aspect of your divorce.

Contact a Tampa Divorce Lawyer from our firm today for a free consultation.