Category Archives: Alimony
Modifying Alimony
Alimony, or spousal maintenance, is monetary support provided by one former spouse to another after divorce. Alimony awards can either be temporary or permanent, depending on whether they are rehabilitative in nature and while these designations are usually permanent, they can be changed. However, modifying an alimony award can be difficult, as it requires… Read More »
Why You Should Consider Obtaining a Vocational Evaluation During Your Divorce
When it comes to determining whether one spouse will owe alimony to the other upon the dissolution of their marriage, courts take a number of factors into account, including each party’s earning ability, work history, and whether one spouse is primarily responsible for childcare. Obtaining a vocational evaluation can be crucial when deciding how… Read More »
Terminating Alimony
In Florida, those who are required to pay alimony are allowed to ask the courts for a modification of the payment schedule or amount, but only if they can demonstrate a substantial change in their financial circumstances. However, it is also possible to completely terminate periodic alimony payments. In fact, this occurs automatically when… Read More »
Is Lump Sum Alimony Considered Extra Income for Tax Purposes?
In prior years, all alimony payments in Florida were subject to taxes and deductions, as they were treated as extra income by the recipient. However, as a result of the passage of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was enacted late last year and goes into effect this coming January, spousal support payments… Read More »
What are the Consequences of Failing to Pay Alimony in Florida?
Those who fail to comply with court orders in Florida face stiff penalties. This is especially true in family law cases, where a failure to pay child support or alimony as required by the court could have a serious impact on a child or former spouse’s quality of life. If your own ex-spouse is… Read More »
Short-Term Marriages and Permanent Alimony
Under Florida law, permanent alimony is usually only awarded when the marriage being dissolved lasted for at least a moderate length of time and there is convincing evidence that the award is appropriate. Fortunately, there is an exception for those whose marriages were short-term, although it can still be difficult to receive permanent alimony… Read More »
How the New Tax Law Will Affect Alimony Payments in Florida
Although you may have heard that the recently enacted tax law will make wide ranging changes in a number of areas, you may not be aware that some of the biggest changes were made to laws regulating alimony. To learn more about how these changes could affect your own alimony payments, please contact an… Read More »
Stay-at-Home Spouses and Filing for Divorce
Although the divorce process does not vary based on the parties’ occupations, stay-at-home spouses do face unique difficulties. For example, spouses who chose to halt their career in favor of supporting their partner and raising children must immediately begin addressing concerns about financial support. This often manifests as concern over the feasibility of returning… Read More »
Overdue Alimony
Alimony payments are often awarded to help supplement one spouse’s income until he or she is able to complete vocational training or find a better paying job. This is especially common among those who were married for a significant amount of time and were not employed, so that they could care for the couple’s… Read More »
Thoughts About “Lifetime Alimony” — Using Well-Crafted Premarital Agreement
Alimony reform continues to be a hot topic here in Florida. Back in January 2017, bills were introduced to, once again, try and reform Florida’s alimony laws. Last year, the legislature passed alimony reform. Under what was labeled SB 668, judges were denied the ability to award so-called “lifetime alimony” payments. SB 668 replaced… Read More »
