A: Under Florida law, alimony is usually ordered for long term marriages – over 12-14 years long. For a short term marriage such as 3 years, alimony is rare, if not impossible.
In Florida, self-sufficiency can disqualify you from receiving spousal support or alimony in Florida. If the court determines that you have the financial means or can gain employment to meet your needs of independently, you may not be eligible for alimony.
Caps on Terms of Alimony Florida's new law institutes caps on alimony terms for rehabilitative alimony and durational alimony: Rehabilitative alimony is now capped at 5 years. For marriages lasting 3 to 10 years, durational alimony can't exceed 50% of the marriage's length.
What qualifies a recipient spouse for alimony in Florida are several factors, among them: The standard of living established during the marriage. The length of the marriage. Both spouse's financial resources, including the non-marital, marital property, assets, and liabilities.
Time Limits for Seeking Alimony in Florida You must petition for alimony before the final divorce judgment is entered. However, there are exceptional circumstances where you may be able to seek alimony after the final judgment has been entered.
The court's must look at whether the spouse requesting alimony has a need and then determine if the other spouse has the ability to satisfy, all or part, of that need. Typically, courts look at the surplus or deficit on each party's financial affidavit when determining if alimony should be awarded.