What Determines Alimony in Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice Florida?
Alimony is a payment made by one spouse to another during and following a divorce. The six types of alimony available in Florida are temporary alimony, bridge-the-gap alimony, rehabilitative alimony, durational alimony, permanent periodic alimony, and lump-sum alimony. The subject of alimony is often confusing to many people. Sarasota divorce attorneys Matthew Z. Martell is an alimony lawyer who can answer your alimony questions if you have a divorce in Sarasota, Bradenton, or Venice, Florida.
Depending on where you live, a Sarasota County, Florida or Manatee County, Florida court determines the amount of alimony you will have to pay after the divorcing couple’s assets and liabilities are first adjudicated and resolved in what is called equitable distribution. Following this division of assets and debts, and again depending on where you reside, the Sarasota, Bradenton, or Venice, FL court determines if either spouse is entitled to alimony. If it is decided a spouse is legally entitled to alimony, the court then has to determine what kind of alimony should be awarded, and for how long it should be paid, and in what amount it should be paid.
Can I negotiate alimony directly with my spouse?
Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice, Florida couples are allowed to negotiate the terms of their alimony. They have input into the amount of support, type of support, and how long support will last. But if the couple fails to reach an agreement, a judge will step in and ultimately make that decision for the couple.
Can I even get alimony if I’m a man?
Either spouse can request alimony. It is a false belief that only women are eligible for support. In fact, the law on this issue is now gender neutral. The court will evaluate the request for alimony – no matter which spouse makes this request. However, based upon my personal experience, it is still very rare to see a man actually get alimony in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice, Florida. Having said that, several things determine if a spouse is entitled to alimony spousal support.
How exactly is alimony determined?
For example, the Sarasota County or Manatee County, Florida court will first determine how long the couple was married when determining permanent alimony. Then the court will determine need and ability to pay. In other words, the court considers the ability of one spouse to make alimony payments to the other spouse and then in what monthly amount. The age, mental health, and physical health of the spouse is also considered as well. Other determining factors include the potential earnings ability of the spouse requesting the alimony support payment. This is called imputed income and normally has to be proven by use of expert witness testimony from a vocational evaluator.
Get Answers for Your Alimony Questions in Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice, Florida
Dealing with divorce is normally very stressful. Concerns about alimony only add to this burden. So, Contact the Law Offices of Matthew Z. Martell, P.A. with offices located in Lakewood Ranch, Manatee County, Florida as well as downtown Sarasota, Sarasota County, Florida to discuss your alimony concerns. The Sarasota divorce attorneys at the Law Offices of Matthew Z. Martell are ready to help you with alimony in your divorce or post-divorce case. Call us today at (941) 556-7020 for a free 15-minute initial phone consultation to discuss your alimony problem.
