Tampa Spousal Maintenance Lawyer

Flat-Fee Uncontested Divorces in Florida

Florida law provides for the continued support of a spouse. This continued support is recognized as alimony and sometimes referred to as spousal support or maintenance. Too often, the issue of alimony drives litigation which results in a prolonged and expensive divorce. This does not have to be the case, however.

In the event that each party recognizes that spousal support will be a part of their overall settlement and can agree on the terms and conditions regarding the alimony, then they may be able to avoid the stress and expense of a contested divorce. By recognizing the need for continued support, parties can work together in order to resolve one of the most highly contested areas of a divorce.

There are several factors which should be taken into consideration when analyzing the need for alimony. Two of the primary factors address the amount and duration of the support. The amount of maintenance that one spouse may require is based upon several different factors, which may include:

Duration of the marriage
Contribution of each spouse to the marriage (homemaking and child care are included in this point)
Financial resources of each person, including all marital and non-marital assets available to each spouse
Physical and emotional condition of each party
Age of each party
Standard of living during the marriage

Video Center: Alimony in Florida

When analyzing the duration of support, it's important to recognize that there are several different types of alimony in the state of Florida. Having different options for alimony can assist parties in coming to an agreement and avoiding the hardship of costly litigation. By working together, parties can take advantage of our uncontested flat fee divorce option which includes drafting an alimony provision in the parties' marital settlement agreement. Our Tampa divorce lawyers are extremely familiar with each type of spousal support, and we can help you to ensure that your alimony agreement is reflected in your final settlement.

At the Givens Law Group, we understand that when continued support is necessary the best and fastest route to resolution is by the parties working together. Understanding the different types of alimony helps assist those individuals looking to resolve their divorce in a timely and cost efficient manner.

The different types of alimony include:

Permanent Alimony - This type of alimony can be required as a continued monthly payment from one ex-spouse to another to maintain the standard of living which was originally set during the marriage. Permanent alimony is normally reserved for long-term marriages, though this type of alimony has been granted in marriages less than fourteen years long in some cases.
Rehabilitative Alimony - This type of alimony is awarded when one spouse has let his or her professional status lapse due to the marriage, or has some other type of similar circumstance where it will take some time to return to a level of income allowing them to be self-supportive.
Transitional Alimony - This type of alimony is designed to resolve an alimony claim when other designations are not applicable. Typically transitional alimony addresses the need for support over a specific time and implements an end date which is agreed to by the parties.
Lump Sum Alimony - Sometimes the amount of spousal support that would be provided over a period can be awarded in one lump sum. Sometimes distribution of assets is referred to as lump sum alimony even though it isn't technically alimony that the person is receiving.
Bridge the Gap Alimony - This type of alimony attempts to help ease the transition between married life and single life. Bridge the Gap alimony is very short in duration and often times used in shorter term marriages.
Temporary Alimony - This type of alimony can be awarded to one spouse during the divorce proceeding until a more permanent arrangement can be made.

Our office is home to the two attorneys who co-authored the chapter on Alimony that is published in the Dissolution of Marriage Manual made available to the members of the Florida Bar. Not only does the law firm have the experience and knowledge that is recognized by the state, we also have countless satisfied clients we have worked with to achieve successful alimony arrangements in Florida.

Perhaps no other area of divorce is more highly contested than alimony. Too often the duration of a divorce and it's expense spiral out of control while pursuing and defending against a spouse's alimony claim. There is another option. In the event the parties can address the need of continued support for a spouse and recognize whether the other spouse has the ability to provide for that support then the parties can address the alimony issue in an amicable fashion.

At the Givens Law Group, we recognize that parties are capable of working together and provide them a cost efficient divorce option that promotes resolution. By taking advantage of our uncontested divorce option the stress and financial hardship of the alimony issue is removed.

Contact a Tampa spousal support attorney at our firm to learn more about the legal services we offer.