Skilled Alimony Lawyers Serving Southwest Florida
Alimony is money that is paid from one spouse to another for support and maintenance after a divorce. It can come in many forms, including a lump-sum payment, payments over a short period of time or even payments that last a lifetime. In theory, alimony is designed to help prevent one spouse from suffering a drastic change in their standard of living as a result of the divorce.
At Thompson Family Law, P.A. in Fort Myers, we work closely with clients going through a divorce, helping them explore all of their options so they can make informed choices about their case. To discuss your options with an experienced family law attorney, call 239-243-9297 or toll free 888-550-6071 today.
What Type of Alimony is Appropriate in Your Situation?
There are three different types of alimony and they all serve a different purpose. The three different types of alimony are:
- Permanent support: Provides for life's necessities, as established during the marriage. These payments continue until the death of either party or remarriage of the recipient. This is often applied to situations where one spouse did not work during a relatively long marriage in order to raise children or at the request of the other spouse.
- Rehabilitative: The purpose is to help put the receiving spouse in a position to support themselves and provide the standard of living that was established during the course of marriage. In practice, this form or alimony often results in payments for educational expenses and vocational training.
- "Bridge the gap": Used to assist a spouse with any legitimate, identifiable, short-term needs under circumstances where a lump sum amount is reasonable. This is to be used when one spouse is unable to provide for the essentials during the transition from married to single life.
A number of different factors will be considered in your case to determine how much, if any, alimony is appropriate, including the length of the marriage, children's issues and each partys' economic situation.
Contact an Attorney Today
Whether you are looking to establish alimony in your case or modify an existing alimony order, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of knowledgeable family law attorneys.
