In Florida, alimony is appropriate in some cases and not appropriate in others. Either spouse may receive alimony, depending on the circumstances. An award of alimony rests on number of factors. The first two and the guiding factors are the need of one spouse for alimony and the ability of the other spouse to, in fact, pay the alimony. Once established, Florida law looks to such other factors as the length of the marriage, the standard of living, the ages and heath of the parties, the roles of the respective spouses during the marriage, including sacrifices either party made, the parties' educational backgrounds, the parties' employment history, and the ability of one spouse to acquire skills in order to become self-supporting.

Depending on the factors above and more, a court may award the following types of alimony:

• Bridge-the-gap: Usually awarded in short-term marriages to allow the lower earning spouse a time to transition from the additional income provided through the marriage to a single income. The maximum period of the award is two years.

• Rehabilitative: Appropriate in situations where a spouse requires time, training or further education or skills to obtain employment, better employment and become self supporting. Requires the development of a specific plan for the party's rehabilitation. No set length, but usually limited in time.

• Durational: When factors indicate alimony is appropriate, this form of alimony may be awarded in marriages ranging from seven to seventeen years. The length of durational alimony may not exceed the length of the marriage.

• Permanent periodic: In the absence of exceptional circumstances, such as ill health, permanent alimony is rarely awarded in marriage of less than 18 years duration. Recent legislative changes diminished the bright line establishing permanent alimony at 18 years marriage.

• Lump Sum: A specific dollar amount of alimony that may be payable all at once or over a period of time. Often awarded to level the equities along with other types of alimony or alone. Unlike child support, no alimony guidelines exist in Florida. Our firm provides strong advocates who unrelentingly explore all avenues to ensure our clients receive what they are entitled to receive or, as the case may be, are not obligated to pay or pay more than they should.