Spousal Support

In Orlando and throughout Florida, one spouse may request alimony, also commonly referred to as spousal support or maintenance. Alimony is simply financial assistance provided by one spouse to the other after the dissolution of the marriage. At Adams, Luka, & Benton, our Orlando alimony lawyers know that obtaining alimony from a former spouse can be complicated. Our goal is to help clients understand the factors that are involved in collecting spousal support, and to help you obtain the alimony you deserve.

It is also important to note that in certain situations, a court may order one spouse to pay temporary alimony to the other until the divorce becomes final. At that time, the court may determine that permanent alimony is in order and set the amount. Alimony is not awarded in every case, and whether you may qualify is based on several factors.

When one spouse desires to collect alimony, there are many factors considered to determine what type will be awarded. It is a common misconception that only women ask for alimony; depending on the situation, a man may request alimony just as a woman would. Some of the factors which affect alimony include:

• Each spouse's age, and emotional/physical condition
• Duration of the marriage (number of years married)
• Each spouse's financial resources
• Standard of living spouse's enjoyed in the marriage
• Spousal contributions to the marriage, not necessarily financial contributions only

In Florida, whether a marriage is considered short-term, moderate-term, or long-term is determined by the number of years. This is actually a rebuttable presumption, however a short-term marriage is generally considered one that lasts less than seven years. A moderate-term marriage is considered to be one that lasts more than seven years, but less than 17. Marriages that last longer than 17 years are considered long-term.

There are also various types of alimony which may be awarded by the courts, which are discussed on other pages on our website. These include:

• Permanent Alimony
• Temporary Alimony
• Bridge-the-Gap Alimony
• Durational Alimony
• Rehabilitative Alimony
• Lump-Sum Alimony

At Adams, Luka, & Benton, we know that it is not enough to simply state your desire to obtain alimony. Considering the many factors indicated above, in order to determine the type and amount of alimony that may be awarded, thorough planning and collecting every detail possible about the financial history of both spouses is important.

We understand that for many spouses who are divorcing, financial matters are the biggest concern. This is particularly true when one spouse has been the sole income provider, or when one spouse earns significantly less income than the other spouse, and fear he or she may not be able to live without financial stress. While there will likely be a brief period or transitional stage that may be a bit uncomfortable financially, we will work aggressively to get the alimony you deserve.

We invite residents of Central Florida to contact us today at 407-872-0303 or 352-357-4084 so we can begin work on your case immediately.