Tampa Alimony Attorneys
Gone are the days when the courts would order the husband to pay alimony to the wife as a matter of course in any Florida divorce. Today, alimony is only granted if requested by one party, and only after considering a number of factors to determine whether alimony is appropriate. At Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A., our Tampa divorce lawyers represent clients who are seeking alimony or being asked to pay. Whether negotiating a marital settlement agreement in mediation or collaborative divorce, enforcing or challenging an alimony provision in a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, or litigating an alimony dispute in court, rest assured we will work toward a resolution that meets your needs and fight for the issues that matter most in your Florida divorce. Learn more about alimony below and how Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. can help. Call our office in Tampa for a free case evaluation if you are involved in a divorce in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County.
What are the different kinds of Florida alimony?
Florida law recognizes four different types of alimony which may be appropriate for different purposes:
Bridge-the-gap alimony is awarded for up to two years to help an individual transition from being married to living singly.
Rehabilitative alimony is used to help an individual gain enough education, job skills or work experience – pursuant to a specific, written rehabilitation plan – to become self-sufficient.
Durational alimony is awarded for a specific period of time to offer economic assistance up to the length of the marriage.
Permanent alimony is ordered, usually after a long-term marriage of 17 years or more, when the recipient is not otherwise able to provide for the necessities of life as established in the marriage.
How is alimony determined in Florida?
The first issues for the court to decide are whether the requesting party truly needs alimony and whether the other party has the ability to pay it. If both of these questions are answered in the affirmative, the court next decides what type of alimony to award, how much to award, and how long the alimony should last. To answer these questions, the judge examines a number of different factors, including:
- The length of the marriage
- The standard of living which was established during the marriage
- Each party’s age and physical and emotional health
- Each party’s financial resources, including their separate property as well as the division of marital property and debts
- Each party’s employability and earning capacity
- How much each party contributed to the marriage as a wage earner, homemaker, caretaker for the children, etc.
In considering these factors, the judge only knows what information has been presented in court. Sometimes it may be necessary to hire a forensic accountant to prepare a standard of living analysis and evaluate the alimony need of the requesting party and the ability of the other party to pay alimony. We have worked with many of the top experts in the area in conducting such evaluations and presenting their findings and recommendations to the judge. When litigating the issue of alimony in your divorce, our lawyers provide the court with the facts and legal arguments on every applicable factor to guide the judge in making an appropriate decision.
For help with the issue of alimony in your Tampa divorce, call Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A. at 813-514-0909.
