Divorce Lawyer - Alimony Clearwater - New Port Richey - Tampa Bay You need an aggressive divorce lawyer to fight for alimony in your divorce FACTORS THAT DETERMINE ALIMONY One of the major issues in a divorce is alimony. If you are going through a divorce in the Tampa Bay area,you will need an experienced divorce attorney who will fight for you to receive alimony. Alimony is support that is ordered in a divorce to be paid to support an ex-spouse. There are three major factors that the court weighs when determining whether to award alimony in a divorce: (1) the economic need of the party requesting alimony, (2) the financial ability of the other party to pay, and (3) the duration of the marriage. There are three types of alimony: Permanent Periodic Alimony, Rehabilitative Alimony, Lump Sum Alimony, and Bridge the Gap Alimony. PERMANENT PERIODIC ALIMONY Permanent Periodic Alimony is alimony that is paid monthly until one of the parties dies, or the receiving spouse remarries. Under most circumstances, the parties need to be married for at least 15 years for the court to award Permanent Periodic Alimony. REHABIL ITATIVE ALIMONY Rehabilitative Alimony is alimony that is paid for limited period of time after the divorce which is available for marriages of shorter duration. The purpose of Rehabilitative Alimony is to increase the earning capability of the party requesting alimony. For example, the court could award Rehabilitative Alimony for a period of two years after the divorce so the party requesting alimony can pay for two years of college. However, for a person to be awarded Rehabilitative Alimony, the requesting party must have a specific plan or economic goal. 1 / 6
LUMP SUM ALIMONY Lump Sum Alimony is a term used when the court wants to give unequal distribution of marital property. For example, the Court can award the requesting spouse an extra $50,000 in the divorce from the sale of the house and label it Lump Sum Alimony. BRIDGE THE GAP ALIMONY Bridge the Gap Alimony is alimony of a temporary nature that can be awarded by the Court that is similar to Rehabilitative Alimony, but doesn't require a specific plan or economic goal. It is awarded to help the requesting party to assist in adjusting from married life to single life after a divorce. ALIMONY AWARDED AT DISCRETION OF JUDGE Unlike child support, there is no mathematical formula to determine the amount of alimony. Instead, the goal of the Court is to attempt to allow both parties to live as close as possible to the standard of living that the parties grew accustomed to during the marriage. There are no alimony guidelines. Instead, the award of alimony is within the discretion of the judge. Therefore it is important to have a divorce lawyer with experience practicing before judges in the Tampa Bay area. 2 / 6
ALIMONY AND TAXES Alimony is tax deductible for the party paying alimony but counts as income for the person receiving alimony. For example, if a husband earns $50,000 a year and his wife in unemployed, and the husband pays the wife $20,000 in alimony per year, the husband will have his income taxes based on income of $30,000 and the wife will have her income taxes based on income of $20,000. ALIMONY IS MODIFIABLE Alimony is always modifiable unless the parties agree in writing that it can t be modified. For alimony to be modified, a part would have to prove a permanent and significant change of circumstances However, if not initially awarded in a Final Judgment of Divorce, it can never be awarded later. For example, if the court awards a measly $1.00 a month in alimony, a spouse can always modify it upward if there is a change of circumstances. However, if the court orders no alimony, a spouse can never obtain alimony even if there is a change of circumstances. 3 / 6
DON'T HESITATE TO CALL If you need a divorce lawyer who is willing to fight for your rights for any case in Clearwater, New Port Richey, or anywhere else in the Tampa Bay area, don't hesitate to call an experienced and aggressive divorce attorney. We offer FREE CONSULTATIONS and individually suited PAYMENT PLANS REPRESENTING CLIENTS IN THESE LOCATIONS Pinellas Alimony Lawyer Largo Alimony Lawyer Clearwater Alimony Lawyer Dunedin Alimony Lawyer Oldsmar Alimony Lawyer Safety Harbor Alimony Lawyer Palm Harbor Alimony Lawyer 4 / 6
Tarpon Springs Alimony Lawyer Pasco Alimony Lawyer Holiday Alimony Lawyer Trinity Alimony Lawyer New Port Richey Alimony Lawyer Hudson Alimony Lawyer THREE CONVENIENT OFFICES Pinellas Office 28471 U.S. Hwy 19 N, St 505 Clearwater, FL 33761 Pasco Office 2150 Seven Springs Bvd. Trinity, FL 34655 5 / 6
Hillsborough Office 2203 North Lois Ave., Ste 900 Tampa, FL 33607 6 / 6