Under Florida law, alimony is a type of payment that is given from one ex-spouse to another after a divorce. These payments are intended to prevent one of the spouses from losing the standard of living that he or she had become accustomed to during the marriage. Alimony is usually ordered to be paid to a spouse that did not have a job during the marriage or to the spouse that had the lowest income. Whatever the circumstances, it is very important to keep careful records of all alimony payments and documents.
It is important to keep records of alimony payments or recepits for several reasons. First, alimony payments can be tax deductible for the payer and can be taxed as income for the recipient. These payments should be recorded so that the proper amount of taxes can be paid and problems with the IRS can be avoided. Second, if a dispute arises between ex-spouses about alimony payments, the court will need to see documentation of all payments that have been sent and received.
If an ex-spouse claims that one or more alimony payments has not been received, the court will investigate and ask to see records. Proper records should include a list that indicates when each payment was made and the amount of each payment. This list should include receipts for cash payments, copies of bank statements or copies of checks obtained from the bank. Without these documents, the court could order one ex-spouse to re-pay any alleged missing payments.
Establishing or modifying an alimony order isn’t always a simple task. An attorney may be able to help by explaining the terms of alimony and providing advice about how to handle an order after it has been issued by the court.
