Lakeland Alimony Lawyer | Divorce and Family Law Attorney

Call 863.686.0975 to speak to Lakeland Alimony Lawyer, Gail Cheatwood about your legal needs.

In the State of Florida, alimony is a subjective issue before the judge. There is no calculation for alimony based on how much the divorcing spouse who may ultimately be ordered to pay alimony makes.

Does the party seeking alimony, need alimony?

Basically, what the judge will do is look at the party requesting alimony and determine if there is an actual need for a contribution for their living expenses. In other words, to try and allow the party seeking alimony to live as normally as possible as he or she had become accustomed to during the marriage.

If the answer to this question is yes, then the court will look at the second part of the equation. Does the other party have the financial means to pay alimony?

To be awarded alimony, it must be determined if the party that may be ordered to pay alimony has the financial means to do so, without putting he or she into financial hardship.

Alimony is broken down into different types:

• Permanent periodic alimony
• Durational alimony
• Rehabilitative alimony
• Bridge-the-gap alimony
• Lump sum alimony

Depending on how long the marriage lasted, this will determine what type of alimony you may be eligible to be awarded.

• Short-Term Marriages: If Currently, before to legislature considers marriages of seven years or less to be short-term marriages. The type of alimony commonly granted in short-term marriages is bridge the gap alimony, which provides the ability of the party receiving alimony to adjust from a two-person household two a one-person household. Generally, bridge the gap alimony will last approximately one half the length of the durational the marriage.
• Moderate-term of marriage: generally considered a 7 to 14-year duration of the marriage. Alimony and moderate-term marriages are commonly awarded durational alimony, which will be determined to be a fixed period that the alimony will last. Rehabilitative alimony is another type of alimony that may be awarded for a moderate term of marriage. Rehabilitated alimony is common when one of the spouses did not focus on a career during the marriage or had to support the other spouse while putting the other spouse through college or other educational or trade school. Rehabilitated alimony is intended to allow the party receiving alimony to get to the point of being able to support his or herself.
• Long-term marriages: Typically, marriages over 14 years of duration. Permanent periodic alimony may sometimes be granted for long-term marriages and could go on forever. Important to note is that every year legislation is put forth to the Florida legislature to do away with permanent periodic alimony. Although attempts to have this legislation passed have not been successful to date but tends to do away with permanent periodic alimony will not go away. Therefore, some people prefer to seek Lump Sum Alimony and situations where the estate of the divorcing spouses is significant.

Attorney Gail Cheatwood vigorously represents the rights of individuals who are currently engaged in alimony, divorce, or other family law legal matters.

Make sure your legal rights are protected.

Call 863.686.0975 to schedule a confidential legal consultation with Lakeland Alimony Attorney, Gail Cheatwood about your legal needs.

LAW OFFICE OF
GAIL CHEATWOOD, P.A.

2000 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, Florida 33801

 PHONE: 863.686.0975