Spousal support is awarded in certain situations when spouses get divorced in Orlando, Florida. Whether youโre trying to secure support as part of your divorce or trying to modify an existing arrangement, itโs important to have an experienced Orlando spousal support lawyer on your side.
Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC is a team of respected, top-rated family law attorneys with more than 50 years of experience. We help our clients identify their goals and work to achieve them – through tough negotiations and smart litigation strategies.
Contact our law office in Orlando, FL to find out how we can help you with your alimony dispute, too. We offer a free consultation, so call to schedule yours today at (407) 831-0203.
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How Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC Can Help You Seek Alimony In Your Orlando Divorce
Getting a divorce can have some serious financial implications. If you earn less than your spouse or put your career on hold to raise a family, then you might worry about how youโll stay afloat financially after your divorce is final.
In Florida, spousal support – or alimony – can be awarded in these types of situations. However, getting this support can pose a challenge because thereโs a good chance your soon-to-be-ex-spouse wonโt want to pay.
Thatโs where the Orlando divorce lawyers at Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC can help.
Since 2012, weโve helped our clients tackle the most difficult legal disputes of all: those involving family. We genuinely care about the people we represent and how each and every case we handle is resolved. Our client satisfaction is second-to-none, and you donโt have to take our word for it.
When you trust our law firm with your fight for spousal support, we will:
- Determine if you qualify for financial support under Florida state law
- Prepare a petition thatโs backed by facts and persuasive evidence of your need for support
- Work with experts to strengthen your quest for alimony, and
- Have a respected trial attorney argue the merits of your case before an Orange County family law judge.
Many times, spousal support is a contested issue. That means thereโs a good chance that your request for support will end up before a judge. Our family law attorneys in Orlando, Florida are accomplished litigators. Weโve handled thousands of hearings and trials – and understand the best approaches to get top results in the courtroom.
What is Spousal Support?
Spousal support – or alimony – refers to money thatโs paid from one spouse to another after they get divorced.
The purpose of alimony is to ensure that both spouses can maintain the standard of living they enjoyed while they were married. It also provides financial security for a period of time after a divorce.
Typically, both spouses donโt have the same income when theyโre married. In some cases, spouses have very similar incomes or earning abilities. Alimony is not generally awarded in these types of situations. Each partnerโs ability to maintain their standard of living and support themself remains the same before and after the divorce.
Things change when spouses have significantly different incomes or earning powers. Often, one spouse will put their education or career on hold to support the other spouse or raise a family. Then, when they decide to get divorced, the lesser-earning spouse is at a disadvantage (financially speaking). Florida reserves spousal support awards for these types of situations.
By awarding alimony, the spouse receiving payments wonโt have to worry about how theyโll make ends meet when theyโre newly single.
What Type of Spousal Support Can Be Awarded in an Orlando Divorce?
In Florida, there are different types of spousal support arrangements that can be made.
- Bridge-the-Gap Alimony: support to pay for specific, identifiable short-term needs as a spouse transitions from being married to being single (e.g., rent payments, a down payment on a home, car payments). Bridge-the-Gap support payments can last a maximum of two years.
- Rehabilitative Alimony: support paid to help a spouse develop (or redevelop) skills or experience that will be used to find a job and support themselves independently.
- Durational Alimony: support paid for a set period of time after a divorce is finalized, typically in cases where couples were married for a short or moderate amount of time.
- Temporary Alimony: support paid during the divorce process – from the time divorce papers are filed until the dissolution of marriage is complete.
- Permanent Alimony: support that must be paid until the receiving spouse remarries or either spouse dies. Permanent spousal support is only awarded when couples in a โlong term marriageโ (one lasting more than 17 years) get divorced.
Alimony is typically made in individual payments over time.
However, lump-sum alimony can be awarded in some situations. For instance, a lump sum may be appropriate if a spouse needs money up front to pay off debts.
Alternatively, a lump sum might be awarded if a court has reservations about a spouseโs ability to comply with a court order and make timely payments in the future.
What Factors Can Affect My Spousal Support Case?
Spousal support can be a highly-contested issue. So, many spousal support disputes in Orlando end up in court in front of an Orange County family law judge. When this happens, the court is required to take many different factors into account as it decides a petition for alimony.
These include:
- The length of the marriage
- The standard of living the spouses enjoyed while they were together
- The ages of both spouses
- Each spouseโs overall health and wellbeing
- How each spouse contributed to the marriage and family (financially and otherwise)
- Each spouseโs financial resources and assets (including property to be divided in the divorce)
- Each spouseโs income and/or ability to generate an income
- The tax implications of both receiving and paying spousal support
Generally, the courts can consider any factors that are relevant in deciding (a) whether an award for alimony is justified, (b) the type of alimony thatโs appropriate, and (c) how much support should be paid.
Can I Modify the Terms of My Spousal Support Agreement?
Most spousal support agreements can be modified. Bridge-the-gap payments are the lone exception. Those are set in stone and cannot be changed by either party after a divorce is final.
All other types of alimony, however, can be modified by a court order. However, there must be a substantial and permanent change in circumstances.
Some reasons why a court might agree to modify alimony include:
- The spouse paying support loses their job due involuntarily
- The spouse paying support is unable to work because they become sick or disabled
- The spouse paying support has a significant decrease in income
- The spouse receiving support sees a significant increase in income
- The spouse receiving support gets married or cohabitates with another person
Orders cannot be modified if the spouse paying support changes their income intentionally or quits their job to avoid their legal obligation. Orders can only be changed if the ability to pay changes because of reasons outside of their control.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Orlando Spousal Support Lawyer
Getting financial support after your divorce can be important – especially if you earn significantly less than your spouse. Alimony payments can give you stability as you enter single life and find your way. However, the fact that youโre getting a divorce might mean that your spouse will not be eager to continue to support you after you split up. Many times, getting alimony means going to court and convincing a judge that financial assistance is necessary. The best way to set yourself up for a successful outcome is by hiring an experienced Orlando spousal support lawyer to represent you.
Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC puts 50+ years of experience behind every family law dispute we handle. We take a team approach because each of our top-rated divorce attorneys in Orlando, Florida brings a unique set of skills and experience to the table. This means that you wonโt just have one Orlando spousal support attorney fighting for you – youโll have all of us.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you seek spousal support or fight to enforce an existing order if your ex isnโt paying. Weโre happy to listen to your story and provide the guidance you need during this stressful time. Call our central Florida law office to get started now.
Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC
815 N Magnolia Ave Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 831-0203