In a Florida divorce, whether it is a high conflict divorce, a high asset divorce or has other circumstances surrounding it, the topic of alimony – also referred to as spousal support – will come to the forefront. Both parties will have reasonable positions on how much should be paid, how long payments should last, and if there should be conditions linked to the payments. While there are many factors in the discussion, two subsets of alimony are bridge-the-gap and rehabilitative. Understanding how these are determined is key to a case for the prospective paying party and the receiving party.
With bridge-the-gap alimony, the description is apt. It is meant to help the person who is receiving alimony to transition to their new life as a single person and meet their financial needs. It is for assistance with the short-term issues associated with no longer living with a breadwinner. With bridge-the-gap, there is a time limit of two years. When bridge-the-gap is awarded, it will end if the paying party dies or if the person who is receiving support remarries. This award cannot be modified in any way by the amount of time for which it is paid for its amount.
Rehabilitative alimony is done so the receiving party has the time to learn to self-support. That can include the redevelopment of credentials or skills they had in the past. The receiving party might need to take part in educational courses, be trained, or gain work experience so he or she has the necessary credentials or skills to self-support. When there is rehabilitative alimony, it can be terminated or subject to modification if there is a significant change in circumstances, the person has not complied with the plan, or the plan was not completed.
Since spousal support can be a contentious issue with life-changing consequences, it is imperative for both parties to have legal representation from the start. A law firm that has helped many Floridians with their family law needs including divorce, child custody, spousal support and more should be consulted with from the beginning to seek an acceptable resolution either through negotiation of by going to court.