Family Law Explained
What Our Clients Say
Client Resources
Choose Your Fate: Seven Courtless Divorce Options
Custody & Visitation
Alimony & Spousal Support
Popular Articles
Bringing the Magic
I had a case in which I was retained, not for a collaborative matter, but for litigation. (Back then, I still had the reputation for being “an aggressive family law trial attorney.”)
Artificial Intelligence and Collaborative Divorce
ChatGPT is an AI Chatbot developed by Open AI. The chatbot has a language-based model that was originally designed for customer service, fine-tuned by the developer for human interaction in a conversational manner.
Growing Apart
Overheard among a group of middle school boys drinking mochas in a coffeehouse, as one tastes another’s coffee: “That is so ridiculously sweet! That’s like something a five-year-old would make!”
Alimony & Spousal Support
Alimony & Spousal Support in Tampa
Alimony (also referred to as “spousal support”) is an allowance paid to a person by that person’s spouse or former spouse for maintenance. Alimony may be ordered if one spouse has the need for it and if the other spouse has the ability to pay it. When it comes to alimony, the length of the marriage matters. For marriages lasting under seven years, there is a presumption against alimony. For marriages lasting from seven to seventeen years, there is no presumption for or against alimony. And for marriages over seventeen years, there is a presumption in favor of an award of alimony. The facts of your case will determine whether an alimony award is appropriate. The six different types of alimony recognized by the State of Florida are: temporary, bridge the gap, lump sum, rehabilitative, durational, and permanent periodic.
Alimony & Spousal Support Solutions
The attorneys of Open Palm Law are skilled in negotiating and making arguments for and against alimony. As the case law evolves in this area, so does our understanding of the important issues associated with alimony. While alimony can be a heated topic in many divorces, we strive to effectively guide our clients toward fair alimony agreements. When this is not possible, we persuasively argue for our client’s best interests in regards to alimony.
FAQs for Alimony & Spousal Support
If you have been married less than seven years, then there is a presumption that you should not be required to pay alimony, meaning that your spouse will have a heavy burden to meet to receive an alimony award. If you have been married seven to seventeen years, there is no presumption for or against alimony, so you may be ordered to pay it, depending on the facts of your case. If you have been married over seventeen years, there is a presumption that alimony should be awarded, so you will have to convince the court that it is not appropriate. Alimony may be ordered if one spouse has the need for it and if the other spouse has the ability to pay it. The six different types of alimony recognized by the State of Florida are: temporary, bridge the gap, lump sum, rehabilitative, durational, and permanent periodic.
If you have been married less than seven years, then there is a presumption that you are not entitled to receive alimony, meaning that you will have a heavy burden to meet to receive an alimony award. If you have been married seven to seventeen years, there is no presumption for or against alimony, so you may receive it, depending on the facts of your case. If you have been married over seventeen years, there is a presumption that alimony should be awarded, so it will be easier for you to convince the court that it is appropriate. Alimony may be ordered if one spouse has the need for it and if the other spouse has the ability to pay it. The six different types of alimony recognized by the State of Florida are: temporary, bridge the gap, lump sum, rehabilitative, durational, and permanent periodic.
If you agreed in the divorce case that alimony would be non-modifiable, then your retirement will not impact your alimony payment. If you did not agree, then your retirement would enable you to seek a modification of alimony based on a reduction of income. But if your income is higher now even without your working because of pension income, social security income, and 401k payments, then a modification may not be warranted.
If you agreed in the divorce case that alimony would be non-modifiable, then your ex’s retirement will not impact your alimony payments. If you did not agree, then your ex’s retirement would enable him/her to seek a modification of alimony based on a reduction of income. But if his/her income is higher now even without him/her working because of pension income, social security income, and 401k payments, then a modification may not be warranted.
