The Meaning of the Different Types of Alimony in Florida

Temporary alimony is made available to a spouse who needs assistance during divorce proceedings. The party requesting the payment has to demonstrate that they need the assistance and that the paying party has the wherewithal. Temporary support helps the spouse who earns a lower income to become stable financially during a protracted divorce process. It gets terminated after the court dissolves the marriage. Bridge-the-gap alimony is only popular in Florida. It is a payment that helps the receiving spouses to cover their intermediate needs as they transition to singlehood. For instance, the spouse in need can use the money to pay living expenses and bills as they wait for an asset to sell or as they try to get a full-time job after getting divorced. There is a time limit for bridge-the-gap support. The payment gets terminated if the beneficiary remarries or when the paying party dies.

Rehabilitative support is a popular type of alimony in Florida. It gets awarded by the court in instances where the receiving spouse could become self-sufficient given financial support and time to acquire training, education, work experience, and skills to reenter the workforce. Spouses should create a well-defined and specified rehabilitative plan before the court awards this type of alimony. Rehabilitative alimony gets awarded after the court reviews the plan. Durational and rehabilitative alimonies are similar in that they both have time restrictions set by the court. Durational support is suitable in instances where the benefiting spouse needs monetary assistance for a given period after getting divorced. It is appropriate for spouses that don’t qualify for permanent support.

Permanent support is rare. It is reserved for spouses that need financial help and cannot become self-sustaining in the future. Disabled and aged spouses may qualify for permanent support. Parents taking care of special needs kids can also qualify for this type of alimony. Alimony is not reserved for women. Anyone can request spousal support provided they demonstrate need and show that the other spouse can pay. The judge has the discretion to determine the duration, amount, and type of spousal support because there is no set formula.