The Types and Definitions of the Different Categories of Alimony in Florida

There are five categories of alimony in the state of Florida. They are permanent, durational, temporary, rehabilitative, and bridge-the-gap alimony. Couples have the leeway to discuss the amount, type, and duration of alimony. If they disagree, the judge intervenes and decides on their behalf. Temporary alimony is given to a spouse in need during a divorce. The party requesting temporary support has to show the need for assistance and demonstrate that the other party has the means to pay. Temporary alimony helps spouses to remain stable during protracted divorces. It gets terminated after marriage dissolution. Bridge-the-gap alimony is a rare type of support. It helps the receiving spouse to meet legitimate needs in the short term as they transition to singlehood. There is a time limit for bridge-the-gap support.

Rehabilitative support is popular in Florida. It gets awarded if a spouse can become stable given financial assistance and time to redevelop skills, acquire an education, work experience, or undergo training. Spouses ought to generate a defined and specific rehabilitative plan for court review before rehabilitative support gets granted. Durational support gets awarded to a spouse who needs assistance for a specified period after the divorce. Durational support ought not to exceed the length of a marriage. The support gets granted to spouses who don’t meet the requirements for permanent alimony. Permanent support is a rare type of support. It is appropriate for spouses who cannot become self-sufficient in the future. It is usually allocated to aged and disabled spouses or spouses caring for special needs kids.

There are various considerations that the court makes before deciding on an award of alimony. They include living standards, marriage duration, age of spouses, emotional and physical health, financial resources, education level, earning capacity, employability, etc. Many people don’t know that alimony can get paid to either spouse. Spouses only need to prove a need and demonstrate that the other party has the means to pay. Judges have the discretion to determine the category, duration, and amount of alimony. Spouses wishing to avoid legal battles should settle their issues privately. For more information, follow us at www.floridadivorce.com/34-divorce-topics/alimony-and-florida-divorce-law.