When Will My Alimony Payments End?

The short answer to this question depends on a few different factors. Some types of alimony, for instance, have specific deadlines, by which former spouses can expect to stop receiving financial support. Other forms, however, will only end upon the recipient’s remarriage or the death of either party. For help determining when your own spousal maintenance payments will end, please call one of our dedicated Largo alimony lawyers today.

What Type of Alimony Were You Awarded?

The type of alimony that a court awards will vary depending on the circumstances of the case, including the length of the couple’s marriage and both parties’ level of financial independence. To have a full understanding of when they can expect to stop receiving alimony payments, recipients should familiarize themselves with:

• The specific form of alimony they were awarded;
• The date of termination on their divorce decree;
• Details regarding any triggering events that could result in the loss of the award before the termination date;
• The instructions for modifying an award; and
• The method of payment they can expect until the award is terminated.

For help finding this kind of information in your own divorce decree or alimony order, please call our office today.

Transitional Alimony

There are a few different types of alimony awards that are specifically designed to help a lesser earning, or more financially dependent spouse, transition to post-divorce life. Bridge-the-gap alimony, for instance, is intended to help a former spouse achieve financial independence and so comes with a specific timeline of two years. These awards are unique in that they can’t be modified, either in amount or duration, so the date in the agreement or divorce decree will be binding.

Rehabilitative alimony is another form of transitional spousal maintenance that is awarded to help a person obtain the skills, training, credentials, or education to secure self-sustaining employment. Rehabilitative alimony doesn’t have a standard end date, but instead terminates upon the completion of a detailed rehabilitative plan that is unique to the parties involved. This means that this kind of alimony won’t end on a certain date, but upon, for example, achieving a certification or degree.

Durational Alimony

Durational alimony comes with a specific end date and cannot exceed the length of the former spouses’ marriage. Unlike the previously mentioned forms of alimony, the termination date for this kind of support will always be included in the divorce decree and can almost never be modified.

Permanent Alimony

Florida is one of the few remaining states that still awards permanent alimony, although this is usually only done in cases where a spouse is unable to provide for his or her own needs for the present or foreseeable future. Permanent alimony automatically ends upon the remarriage of the recipient or the death of either party. Alternatively, it is also possible to modify the amount and duration of these payments if a substantial change in circumstances occurs.

Do You Have Questions About Alimony?

For help understanding the details of your own alimony award and what steps you can take to prepare for financial independence, please contact the dedicated Largo alimony lawyers at Cairns Law. Call us at 727-683-1472 or complete an online contact form to get in touch with a member of our team today.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.08.html