Assistance With Spousal Support in a Kissimmee Divorce
Alimony can have a major impact on your life after divorce. For some, it provides the support needed to find a new home, pay for training, or cover daily expenses during a tough transition. For others, it means responding to requests for support that may not reflect your income, debts, or responsibilities as a parent.
A Kissimmee alimony attorney can help you understand what Florida law allows before a family law judge decides the issue for you. Alimony and spousal support disputes are rarely about one number. They involve income, need, ability to pay, the length of the marriage, child rearing, marital assets, debt, earning capacity, and the future each spouse can realistically build.
The Law Office of Erin Morse represents clients in Kissimmee, Orlando, Osceola County, and Central Florida in divorce proceedings involving spousal support, property issues, parenting matters, and complex family transitions. We take a direct, creative, and aggressive approach because alimony can affect your financial security long after the divorce case ends.
Call (407) 743-6059 now to schedule a strategy session. We can review your alimony dispute, explain the legal process, and help you understand your options before your spouse, their lawyer, or the court controls the direction of the case.
Florida Alimony Starts With Need and Ability to Pay
Alimony does not happen automatically in Florida. The court looks at two things: if the spouse asking for support really needs it and if the other spouse can afford to pay. The person asking for alimony must prove both.
This rule protects both sides. If you are asking for alimony, you need to show more than just financial hardship. Be ready to provide details about your income, expenses, debts, health, child care, work situation, and what support you need to get back on your feet.
If you may have to pay alimony, keep clear records of your income, bills, and other financial responsibilities. The court will look at what you can reasonably afford. You can challenge alimony if the amount asked for is more than you can pay or more than the law allows.
What the Court Considers in a Florida Alimony Case
After the court finds need and ability to pay, Florida Statutes § 61.08 directs the judge to consider relevant factors before awarding or denying alimony. Those factors include the length of the marriage, the standard of living the spouse enjoyed over the term of the marriage, each spouse’s age and health condition, each spouse’s financial resources, earning capacity, employability, and each party’s contribution to the marriage.
The court may also consider a range of other issues, such as homemaking, which spouse focused on childcare, or contributed to the career success of the other. That means a spouse who paused a career for child rearing or supported the other spouse’s business activities or education may have facts that affect the alimony case.
Common evidence includes:
- Income records, pay stubs, tax returns, and business records
- Monthly expenses, debts, and household budgets
- Work history, education, licenses, and job prospects
- Health issues that affect earning ability or financial need
- Parenting responsibilities that limit full-time work
Alimony in Florida depends on proof. Guessing, hiding money, or relying on anger from the marriage can weaken your position.
Types of Alimony Available Under Florida Law
Current Florida law allows temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational alimony. The court may order periodic payments or lump sum alimony payments when appropriate.
Temporary alimony can address financial needs while divorce proceedings are pending. Florida Statutes § 61.071 allows a party in a dissolution case to claim alimony and suit money by petition or motion when the request is well-founded.
Bridge-the-gap alimony is meant to help you move from married life to being single. It covers short-term needs and lasts no more than two years. This type of alimony ends if either person dies or if the person receiving it gets remarried. The amount and length cannot be changed.
Rehabilitative alimony can help a spouse redevelop prior skills or credentials, or obtain education, training, or work experience needed for employment. The court must include a specific rehabilitative plan, and the award cannot last more than five years.
Durable alimony provides economic relief for a specific time. Florida law does not allow durational alimony after a marriage lasting less than three years. The amount of durational alimony cannot exceed the receiving spouse’s reasonable need or 35 percent of the difference between the parties’ net incomes, whichever amount is less.
Many people still use the phrase “permanent alimony,” but it does not apply the same way in newer Florida cases. For initial petitions filed on or after July 1, 2023, Florida Statutes § 61.08 allows courts to consider temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony. Older cases and existing orders may involve different issues.
Marriage Length Can Change the Alimony Analysis
Florida law uses marriage length as part of the alimony analysis. For alimony purposes, a short-term marriage is presumed to last less than 10 years. A moderate-term marriage is presumed to have lasted between 10 and 20 years. A long-term marriage is presumed to last 20 years or longer. The length runs from the date of marriage to the date the divorce action is filed.
Marriage length is only part of the alimony decision. If you had a short marriage but faced health problems or relied on your spouse for money, the court will still look at your situation. Even in long-term marriages, the judge considers your needs, your spouse’s ability to pay, and your financial resources.
For durational alimony, Florida law also limits the length of the award. The award may not exceed 50 percent of the length of a short-term marriage, 60 percent of a moderate-term marriage, or 75 percent of a long-term marriage, unless exceptional circumstances support an extension.
Talk With a Kissimmee Alimony Lawyer
A good alimony plan starts with understanding what could happen in court and knowing your options. We help you learn the law, get your finances in order, and make choices that protect your children, your money, and your future.