Alimony Attorney Serving Sarasota County

Alimony refers to court-ordered payments provided to one spouse during or after a divorce in Florida. However, figuring out whether you’ll be paying or receiving it is not as straightforward as child support.

Florida law provides for several different types of alimony. The duration of the marriage is only one of the factors to determine the type of alimony a spouse may be entitled to receive. Some of the other factors under the law include, but are not limited to, are the relative incomes of the parties, the parties’ lifestyle during the marriage, and the age of the parties.

What Are the Different Types of Alimony

• Temporary alimony is payable while the divorce case pends, and can be crucial in ensuring bills and other expenses are taken care of while the case is underway.
• Bridge-the-Gap alimony is awarded to help a party smoothly transition from a married state to a single one with financial ease.
• Rehabilitative alimony is a form of financial support paid briefly to aid a spouse in achieving self-sufficiency through skill-building, education, work experience, or credentials attainment. It can be a crucial lifeline during a challenging time of transition, keeping individuals financially afloat as they grow and flourish. Rehabilitative alimony is limited to five years.
• Lump sum alimony is a structured payment of a specified amount that can help streamline the divorce process for both parties involved.
• Durational alimony is a form of alimony that is calculated with reference to the duration of the marriage and the relative net incomes of the parties. There are statutory guidelines as to duration and amount as of July 1, 2023, when alimony reform went into effect in Florida. Durational alimony is not available in marriages of less than three years duration.
• Nominal alimony may be awarded where there is no readily identifiable source of payment at the time final judgment is entered, but there is an established need for alimony, and preserves the right of the payee spouse to come back for alimony should the payor’s circumstances change.

Contact Loftus Law

Leslie Loftus, an Alimony Attorney located in Sarasota Florida, works closely with her clients in analyzing their needs in conjunction with the current law so that she may assist them with the important decisions that must be made at the onset of their dissolution of marriage case, ensuring that they make the best decisions possible under their respective circumstances.

Alimony reform bills have been entertained in the Florida legislature for the last two years running, and Ms. Loftus is keeping abreast of the latest status of alimony reform efforts.