Alimony


Palm Beach Alimony and Family Law Firm

Florida law allows, in certain circumstances, for an ex-husband or ex-wife to continue to be supported by the other spouse after the marriage has been dissolved.  This is called alimony, spousal support, support or maintenance.  Originally, alimony was only collected by the ex-wife.  However, today, either husband or wife can be required to financially support the other, depending upon the financial circumstances surrounding the divorce.   The amount of maintenance that one spouse has to pay to the other is based upon several different factors, some of which are:

  • Duration of the marriage
  • Contribution of each spouse to the marriage (homemaking and child care are included in this point)
  • Financial resources of each person, including all marital and non-marital assets available to each spouse
  • Physical and emotional condition of each party
  • Age of each party
  • Standard of living during the marriage

Types of Alimony

There are several different types of alimony in the state of Florida.  SPN Law, LLC is extremely familiar with each type of spousal support, and we can help to ensure that your rights are upheld in your case.

The different types of alimony include:

  •  Permanent Periodic Alimony – this type of alimony can be required as a monthly payment from one ex-spouse to another to maintain the standard of living which was originally set during the marriage.  Permanent alimony is normally reserved for long-term marriages, though this type of alimony has been granted in marriages less than fourteen years long in some cases.
  • Durational Alimony - Like permanent periodic alimony, the award of durational alimony is appropriate when one spouse is better able to maintain the marital standard of living than the other. The amount awarded will typically be a monthly sum to be paid by the higher earning former spouse to the other. Instead of being permanent, the award by the court will be for a specific number of months or years and cannot exceed the length of the marriage.
  • Rehabilitative Alimony – This type of alimony is awarded when one spouse has let his or her professional status lapse due to the marriage, or has some other type of similar circumstance where it will take some time to return to a level of income that the ex-spouse is accustomed to.
  • Bridge the Gap Alimony – Sometimes one spouse is awarded a one-time payment to help him or her adjust to single living.  This is when this type of alimony would be applied, especially if the person does not qualify for any other type of alimony.
  • Lump Sum Alimony – Sometimes the amount of spousal support that would be provided over a period can be awarded in one lump sum.  Sometimes distribution of assets is referred to as lump sum alimony even though it isn’t technically alimony that the person is receiving.
  • Temporary Alimony – This type of alimony can be awarded to one spouse during the divorce proceeding until a more permanent arrangement can be made.
Contact Our Firm Today

South Florida families have looked to SPN Law, LLC for aggressive representation and timely, cost-effective legal solutions related to family law.  Contact Attorney Neelakanta at (561) 659-1873 today for a free consultation to discuss your legal issues. The law firm accepts all major credit cards and offers affordable payment plans tailored to meet the individual needs of our clients. You may also submit your case online via our online case submission form for a free case evaluation by clicking here, or by email at sab@spnlawfirm.com.