The purpose of alimony is to allow the other spouse to maintain their lifestyle after the divorce. There are several different types of alimony, and you should work with an attorney to determine what types are best for your needs.
A court will order temporary alimony when the parties separate during the divorce. Temporary alimony is only put in place during the litigation. Once the divorce is final, temporary alimony will either be terminated or replaced by another form of alimony.
In rare cases, a court will order rehabilitative alimony to help a spouse re-enter the workforce. Imagine a situation where one spouse left their career to raise the children, but now the children are adults. Rehabilitative alimony pays for the spouse to receive additional education or training and ends when the spouse has obtained full-time employment.
Similar to rehabilitative alimony, bridge-the-gap alimony is ordered to help a spouse transition back to self-sufficiency. The spouse may not need additional education or training, but simply time to re-enter the workforce. Bridge-the-gap alimony is limited to an award of 2 years.
A court will order permanent alimony when a spouse has little hope of re-entering the workforce, or despite doing so, is unable to be self-sufficient. Typically permanent alimony is only awarded in marriages lasting 17 years or longer. Despite its name, permanent alimony is not always permanent; the payor spouse is allowed to retire and alimony will need to be readdressed at that time.
Simply stated, durational alimony is ordered for a set duration of time. This is more common in longer marriages, 10 years or greater, but it cannot exceed the length of the marriage.
The court may order any of the above, or a combination of the above alimony forms. Alimony is not a simple equation but is instead very fact specific. If you have questions about your alimony, including modification or termination, contact our office at (850) 694-1411 to schedule your initial consultation.
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