What Do Florida Alimony Payments Cover?

The expenses that alimony covers will depend in large part on the type of alimony award in question. These include temporary, durational, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and permanent alimony. To learn more about the different types of alimony that are awarded in Florida and what kinds of expenses those payments can be used for, reach out to our Fort Lauderdale divorce legal team today.

Covering Temporary Needs

In many divorces, judges will award what is known as temporary alimony, which provides financial help to lesser earning spouses during the divorce proceedings. These payments can be used to pay necessary expenses, like car payments, rent, and utilities. It’s important to note, however, that these awards last only while a divorce is pending and automatically terminate when the divorce decree is finalized, at which point, a final alimony award will go into effect.

Giving You Time to Transition to Post-Divorce Life

Divorce can result in significant financial upheaval for a family, especially if one spouse earned significantly less than the other, or wasn’t employed. In these cases, courts often award either durational alimony or bridge-the-gap alimony, which help former spouses get back on their feet by providing them with financial support to pay foreseeable and identifiable bills while they:

• Find new job opportunities;
• Find new living arrangements;
• Relocate; and
• Look into childcare options.

Basically, alimony can provide a former spouse with some breathing room to help them transition to post-divorce life and become self-sufficient.

Going Back to School

Many people sacrifice education and employment opportunities so that they can care for their children, or help their spouse with  his or her career. This can leave former spouses in a tough spot upon divorce, which is why Florida courts often award rehabilitative alimony, which focuses on helping recipients fulfill identifiable, short-term goals, like going back to school to finish a degree or obtain specific vocational skill training. These alimony awards can also be used to obtain new professional licenses, or to re-apply for certifications and credentials that expired during the marriage, but are necessary for obtaining higher paying employment.

Maintaining a Former Lifestyle

Permanent alimony, which is typically only awarded after the end of a long-term marriage (lasting more than 17 years), can be used by the recipient to maintain his or her lifestyle after divorce. Technically, these payments are intended to provide only for the recipient’s needs and necessities. What qualifies as needs and necessities will, however, vary based on the facts of the case.

Enlist the Help of a Qualified Alimony Lawyer

For help pursuing alimony during your divorce proceedings, call Fort Lauderdale alimony attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. today. We know how stressful it can be to transition to post-divorce life and will do everything we can to help you obtain the best possible alimony outcome. To set up a free consultation, call 954-945-7591 or complete one of our brief online contact forms. A member of our legal team is standing by to get started on your case.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.08.html

forbes.com/advisor/legal/divorce/florida-alimony/