Alimony Attorneys In Fort Lauderdale, Florida
In a proceeding for legal separation in Florida, the court may grant alimony to either party. Before you sign any documents or make a verbal agreement to your partner, consult an experienced alimony lawyer. Theodore Enfield has more than 40 years of experience in family law and divorce issues, including spousal support (alimony), and understands the many facets of creating and modifying spousal support agreements.
If you are going through a divorce, consult with an attorney before signing any papers. You may be responsible for paying alimony, or you may be eligible to receive alimony. A qualified lawyer like Theodore Enfield can help guide you through the many steps of getting a divorce and calculating the correct amount of alimony.
What Is Spousal Support?
Spousal support refers to payments made to a spouse in order to help him or her achieve financial independence and stability after a divorce or legal separation.
What Is Alimony?
Alimony is a court provision that requires a spouse to make payments to the other spouse after a divorce or legal separation.
In many states, spousal support and alimony are used interchangeably. However, alimony is commonly used in court systems. Both are meant to protect the financial well-being of spouses after the dissolution of marriages. To learn more about alimony and child support, you should contact an alimony lawyer at the Theodore H. Enfield, P.A.
How Is Alimony Determined?
There are many factors that family judges take into consideration when determining the amount of alimony payments and whether alimony is necessary. In the state of Florida, the court considers:
- the amount of money that each spouse can earn per month
- the monthly expenses of each spouse
- the possibility of maintaining the “standard of living established during the marriage”
In other words, family courts aim to ensure that each spouse is able to return to a lifestyle of financial stability that is similar to the economic state before the divorce. If the alimony award is unable to meet such standards, the court will entertain other ways to distribute assets equally.
Types Of Alimony
In Florida, there are different types of alimony that the courts may grant depending on your situation.
Bridge-The-Gap Alimony
Bridge-The-Gap alimony provides transitional assistance from being married to being single. The length of an award may not exceed two years. It is not modifiable in the amount of duration.
Rehabilitative Alimony
According to Florida statute 61.08, rehabilitative alimony is awarded to assist a party in establishing the capacity for self-support through the redevelopment of previous skills or credentials or the acquisition of education training or work experience necessary to develop appropriate employment skills or credentials. There must be a specific and deferred rehabilitation plan.
Durational Alimony
The purpose of durational alimony is to provide the party with economical assistance for a set period of time following a marriage of a short or moderate duration, or following a marriage of a long duration if there is no ongoing need for permanent support. The length of durational alimony may not exceed the length of the marriage.
Factors In Awarding Alimony
- Duration of the marriage
- Standard of living established during the marriage
- The physical and emotional condition of the party
- The responsibilities each party will have with regards to any minor children
Do I Need An Alimony Attorney?
As soon as you are aware that you will be getting a divorce, you should contact an experienced family law attorney. Divorces are often accompanied by emotional distress, which contributes to lengthy, even difficult divorce proceedings. For couples who earn significantly different amounts of income and play different roles within the household, alimony and/or spousal support may be necessary. However, many spouses do not believe in alimony and thus, present evidence and other useful information to deter family courts from requiring alimony payments. Because of these reasons, it is absolutely pertinent that you contact a divorce lawyer to assist you with the overall process of requesting alimony.
For help in determining which type of alimony fits your unique situation, contact an experienced divorce attorney at the Theodore H. Enfield, P.A in Miami, Florida, at (954)-983-1443.