At Pinellas Family Lawyer, we aim to simplify Florida’s alimony laws and help you understand how these decisions are made.
When going through a divorce in Florida, one of the most significant concerns is often alimony, also referred to as spousal support. Understanding how alimony is calculated can help you navigate this often-complicated process more clearly.
As experienced Pinellas County family law attorneys, we regularly guide clients through Florida’s alimony calculations and help them understand their rights and obligations.
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Understanding Florida’s Alimony Reform
Florida’s alimony laws underwent significant changes in 2023, establishing new guidelines for how courts determine spousal support. These reforms have made the process more predictable while still allowing judges to consider each case’s unique circumstances.
Factors That Determine Alimony in Florida
Florida courts consider several key factors when calculating alimony:
1. Length of Marriage
- Short-term: Less than 10 years
- Moderate-term: 10-20 years
- Long-term: 20 years or more
The duration of your marriage significantly impacts both the type and duration of potential alimony awards.
2. Financial Resources and Needs
The court examines both spouses:
- Current income and earning capacity
- Assets and liabilities
- Monthly expenses and financial obligations
- Standard of living during the marriage
3. Earning Capacity and Employability
Courts consider:
- Education and skill levels
- Work experience and employment history
- Time needed for education or training to become self-sufficient
- Career interruptions for family responsibilities
4. Contributions to the Marriage
Both financial and non-financial contributions are evaluated, including:
- Homemaking and child-rearing
- Support of the other spouse’s career or education
- Contributions to family businesses or investments
Types of Alimony in Florida
Florida recognizes several types of alimony, each serving a unique purpose:
- Bridge-the-Gap Alimony: Designed for short-term needs as a spouse transitions to single life.
- Rehabilitative Alimony: Intended to support a spouse while they gain education or skills to become self-sufficient.
- Durational Alimony: Provides financial support for a set period, often tied to the length of the marriage.
- Permanent Alimony: Permanent alimony is no longer awarded under Florida law. Under exceptional circumstances the court may still order durational alimony for a longer period to potentially cover one spouses entire lifetime, essentially still ordering permanent alimony.
Understanding which type applies to your case is critical in estimating alimony calculations. To calculate the maximum amount and duration of alimony that may be awarded in your divorce case, see our 2025 Maximum Alimony Calculator.
Alimony and Length of Marriage
The duration of alimony is closely tied to the length of the marriage:
- Short-Term Marriages: Typically result in little to no alimony or limited rehabilitative or bridge-the-gap support.
- Moderate-Term Marriages: Durational alimony is more common, often proportional to the marriage length.
- Long-Term Marriages: Durational alimony may be awarded if one spouse cannot meet their needs independently.
Common Questions About Florida Alimony
- Can alimony be permanent? Possibly, but under the guise of durational alimony as Florida law was changed in 2023 to eliminate permanent alimony. However, durational alimony for a period of one spouses lifetime may still be awarded, typically in a long-term marriage where one spouse has limited earning capacity and clear, ongoing needs due to extreme circumstances such as becoming disabled during the marriage.
- Does remarriage affect alimony? The receiving spouse’s remarriage or entering into a supportive relationship can allow alimony to be terminated or reduced, except for certain types of lump-sum alimony.
- How does retirement impact alimony? Retirement can be grounds for modification or termination, but it must be reasonable and done in good faith.
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Seeking Professional Guidance
Calculating alimony involves complex legal and financial considerations. Working with an experienced family law attorney can help protect your rights and ensure that any alimony arrangement is fair and sustainable.
At Pinellas Family Lawyer, we understand the nuances of Florida alimony law and can help you navigate this challenging process. Whether you expect to pay or receive alimony, we’ll work to achieve an outcome that protects your financial future.
My former spouse left me in 2012 after a 28 yr marriage because I had a Botched surgery & suffered pain. Our divorce was final in 2015. He applied for alimony modification because he retired being a computer engineer with salary of 422k. I put him through college 3 yr full time at USF by working 60-70 hrs p.week. From January 2024-April 2025 he litigated (& I was still suffering chronic pain for 15 yrs because he left me). I am so depressed right now (I’m 75, he’s 67) & can’t function & am on meds that long (2010-present, now need Hip surgery) due to him leaving me without warning. Over text 3 days before Thanksgiving of 2012 he texts me that he has to talk to me (he was supposed to be in Brazil working; his current younger wife is from where he worked in Brazil) that he’ll no longer live here & texts a kisses & heart emoji. Please help me. I was about to start going live on the Web with my Biz, then the Botched surgery ruined that. He became so distant; didn’t ask how I was feeling; nothing from him. He tells me not to come into his study because he’s on a conference call. Meanwhile his sister needed money because her daughter owed 150k for law school debt. She & her daughter Skyped with him 3x a week, as his niece told me on the phone. The daughter/his niece was Disbarred in 2020 or 2021 for lying to the court in VA. He, I’m sure was helping them pay down the loan, for his sister worked in a Supermarket & her husband was a handyman who gambled online & they’d take money from their checking account when he lost; he was a gambling addict. They knew I wouldn’t agree to helping them because we had major repairs needed to our home. Now I am in chronic pain & have to take care of repairs, etc in a 4 bdrm home with Pool man & lawn guys. It’s been like living a nightmare for 15 years now. My dear departed mom had to wake up every morning for last 2 yrs of her bed-ridden life crying, because she couldn’t believe that he left me. My house is a mess inside & outside & I have problems just keeping up with daily routines. I found out on April 25th that my attorney coerced me into the deal because court is on April 29th. I didn’t get a good settlement & paid 60-70k from my savings because he stopped paying Alimony in June of 2024. HELP PLEASE! I can’t pay my bills with the 3k p.month offer. I cannot move out because I need Hip Replacement surgery.
My former spouse left me in 2012 after a 28 yr marriage because I had a Botched surgery & suffered pain. Our divorce was final in 2015. He applied for alimony modification because he retired being a computer engineer with salary of 422k. I put him through college 3 yr full time at USF by working 60-70 hrs p.week. From January 2024-April 2025 he litigated (& I was still suffering chronic pain for 15 yrs because he left me). I am so depressed right now (I’m 75, he’s 67) & can’t function & am on meds that long (2010-present, now need Hip surgery) due to him leaving me without warning. Over text 3 days before Thanksgiving of 2012 he texts me that he has to talk to me (he was supposed to be in Brazil working; his current younger wife is from where he worked in Brazil) that he’ll no longer live here & texts a kisses & heart emoji. Please help me. I was about to start going live on the Web with my Biz, then the Botched surgery ruined that. He became so distant; didn’t ask how I was feeling; nothing from him. He tells me not to come into his study because he’s on a conference call. Meanwhile his sister needed money because her daughter owed 150k for law school debt. She & her daughter Skyped with him 3x a week, as his niece told me on the phone. The daughter/his niece was Disbarred in 2020 or 2021 for lying to the court in VA. He, I’m sure was helping them pay down the loan, for his sister worked in a Supermarket & her husband was a handyman who gambled online & they’d take money from their checking account when he lost; he was a gambling addict. They knew I wouldn’t agree to helping them because we had major repairs needed to our home. Now I am in chronic pain & have to take care of repairs, etc in a 4 bdrm home with Pool man & lawn guys. It’s been like living a nightmare for 15 years now. My dear departed mom had to wake up every morning for last 2 yrs of her bed-ridden life crying, because she couldn’t believe that he left me. My house is a mess inside & outside & I have problems just keeping up with daily routines. I found out on April 25th that my attorney coerced me into the deal because court is on April 29th. I didn’t get a good settlement & paid 60-70k from my savings because he stopped paying Alimony in June of 2024. HELP PLEASE! I can’t pay my bills with the 3k p.month offer. I cannot move out because I need Hip Replacement surgery.