Alimony & Spousal Support

Alimony, also referred to as spousal support, may be agreed to by the parties or ordered by the court.  There are several different types of alimony.

The court may grant alimony to either spouse. In determining whether to award alimony, the court must determine whether either party has an actual need for alimony and whether the other party has the ability to pay.  The court must also consider the factors set forth in section 61.08 of the Florida Statutes.

Some of the factors the court considers when determining the type and amount of the alimony award include, but are not limited to:

• The parties’ prior standard of living.
• Length of the marriage.
• Age and physical and emotional condition of both spouses.
• Each spouse’s financial resources and income-producing capacity of the assets they receive.
• The time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to find appropriate employment.
• The services rendered in homemaking, child-rearing and the education and career-building of the other spouse.

The court may consider any other factor necessary to do equity and justice between the spouses.