Alimony or spousal support only applies to divorce cases and only in the original action, not subsequent actions. There is no magic formula to whether or not one spouse has to pay alimony to the other but instead the court will look at a number of factors including the length of marriage, disparity in income between the spouses, standard of living of the spouses prior to separation, assets of the marriage and to some extent the actions of each spouse. Often times we hear a spouse saying “my wife/husband left me and I can’t afford to live on my own – what can I do?” Alimony or temporary spousal support may be appropriate in your case.

In July of 2010 the Florida Legislature enacted a new law relating to alimony.  The Legislature now separated marriages into three categories; short term marriages defined from 0 – 7 years of marriage; moderated term marriages defined from 7 – 17 years of marriage and long-term marriages defined from 17 or more years of marriage.  The law also defines the four types of alimony; Bridge the Gap, Rehabilitative, Durational and Permanent alimony.

At the Law Office of William S. Orth, P.A. we can help you to determine if you have a right to alimony or if you should be paying alimony.  Contact us for a free consultation on alimony and the changes in the law.