Alimony — also called spousal support — is a payment from one spouse to the other after a divorce. In Florida, alimony exists to help a lower-earning or non-earning spouse transition from married to single life, and, in longer marriages, to allow both spouses to maintain a reasonably similar standard of living. Florida's alimony statute was substantially rewritten in 2023, and the new framework affects every alimony case filed since.
The 2023 Florida Alimony Reform
Effective July 1, 2023, Florida made three major changes to its alimony law:
- Permanent alimony is abolished. Florida judges can no longer award permanent alimony in cases filed after the effective date. Long-term support now takes the form of durational alimony with a maximum length tied to the length of the marriage.
- Retirement becomes a ground to modify or terminate. A paying spouse who reaches normal retirement age may petition the court to reduce or terminate alimony.
- Length caps on durational alimony.Short (under 10-year), moderate (10–20-year), and long (20+-year) marriages each have statutory limits on how long durational alimony can last.
Types of Alimony in Florida
After the 2023 reform, Florida recognizes four types of alimony:
- Temporary alimony— support while the divorce is pending. Ends when the final judgment is entered.
- Bridge-the-gap alimony— short-term support (maximum 2 years) designed to help a spouse transition to being single. Cannot be modified once ordered.
- Rehabilitative alimony— time-limited support that allows a spouse to complete education, training, or re-enter the workforce. A specific rehabilitation plan is required.
- Durational alimony— post-reform replacement for permanent alimony. Can last up to 50% of the length of a short marriage, 60% of a moderate marriage, and 75% of a long marriage, with statutory exceptions.
What Courts Consider
Florida judges analyze a detailed list of statutory factors to decide both whether to award alimony and how much:
- The standard of living established during the marriage
- The length of the marriage (short, moderate, or long)
- Each spouse's age and physical/emotional condition
- Financial resources, including marital and non-marital assets
- Earning capacity, education, vocational skills, and employability
- Contributions to the marriage — homemaking, child-rearing, and support of the other spouse's career
- Tax treatment of the alimony award
- All sources of income actually or potentially available
- Responsibilities each spouse will have with respect to minor children
- Adultery, only to the extent it involves the dissipation of marital assets
How Amounts Are Calculated
Unlike child support, Florida alimony is not calculated by a rigid formula. Instead, judges conduct a two-step analysis: first, does the recipient have a need? Second, does the payor have the ability to pay? The amount awarded is what is reasonable considering the statutory factors, capped by what the payor can actually afford after their own reasonable expenses and any child support obligation.
The interplay with child support matters a great deal. Alimony received is taxable income to the recipient for child-support purposes. See our free child support calculator to model how an alimony number changes the support picture.
Modifying an Existing Alimony Order
Alimony can generally be modified when there is a substantial, material, and unanticipated change in circumstances — job loss, disability, retirement, a recipient's remarriage, or a supportive relationship. The exception is bridge-the-gap alimony, which cannot be modified. Learn more about modifications.
Cohabitation and “Supportive Relationships”
Florida law allows a court to reduce or terminate alimony if the recipient is in a “supportive relationship” with someone — living together, combining finances, sharing expenses — even without remarriage. Proving or defending against a supportive relationship is fact-intensive and often contested.
How I Can Help
Whether you are seeking alimony, trying to minimize what you pay, modifying an existing order, or defending against a supportive-relationship motion, I can help. My practice emphasizes negotiated resolutions through mediation where possible, with the ability to litigate when it is not.
Call me at 904-858-4334 or contact me online for a consultation.