When your Florida marriage ends and your spouse seeks alimony, you may wonder how much you might have to pay your former partner, and for how long. Many factors help determine if your former partner gets an alimony award in your divorce, among them the length of your marriage and your and your ex’s degree of employability. If he or she does receive alimony in your split, the court may award one of four specific alimony types.
Per the Florida Legislature, if the court does decide to grant your former husband or wife alimony in your divorce, it may award bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational or permanent alimony.
Bridge-the-gap alimony
This type of alimony seeks to help your former partner get by while he or she becomes self-sufficient enough to provide for him or herself. If you have to pay bridge-the-gap alimony, the court orders you to do so for two years, at most.
Rehabilitative alimony
Rehabilitative alimony is like bridge-the-gap alimony in that it is temporary in nature and intended to help your former partner become self-sufficient. There has to be a formal plan in place for rehabilitation for your ex to get this type of support.
Durational alimony
Durational alimony may come into play when a permanent alimony award might prove inappropriate. Durational alimony obligations end if your ex remarries or if you or your one-time partner die.
Permanent alimony
Permanent alimony is relatively rare. Your ex’s chances of getting it improve if your marriage was long and your ex made significant sacrifices for the sake of your family or career.
If the court decides to award your ex alimony in your divorce, it may do so in either periodic or lump-sum payments.
